THE hosepipe ban across the North West has been lifted after weeks of wet weather.
But Warrington-based United Utilities, who imposed the ban on July 9 after the driest start to a year since records began in 1929, is still appealing to people to use water sparingly.
Despite a month in which parts of the region were hit by torrential rain and flash floods, Pennine reservoir levels remain below average.
The company is piping supplies from NorthWales and Cumbria to allow the restrictions to be lifted.
Water bosses say the prolonged dry spell at the beginning of the year resulted in reservoirs falling to less than half their capacity in some cases.
A spokesman said: “Overall, the situation is much improved and the ban is no longer required to safeguard essential supplies”
Up to seven million homes across the region were affected and householders were asked to save water. No sooner had the ban been imposed than the rain arrived.
It meant up to seven million homes in parts of Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire were asked to save water just as their gardens were getting hit with heavy downpours.
Richard Blackwell, United Utilities’ supply demand manager, thanked customers for their patience.
“Our key reservoirs in Cumbria and North Wales are now at the kind of levels we would expect for the time of year,” he said.
“Pennine reservoir levels remain below normal, with some still at very low levels, but we are now able to compensate for this shortfall by moving more water from Cumbria and North Wales using our integrated pipe network.
“Overall, the situation is much improved and the ban is no longer required to safeguard essential supplies.
“Although the ban is over, some of our reservoirs are still very low, so it’s important that people continue to do what they can to save water around the home and garden.”
The ban restricted the use of hosepipes or sprinklers for watering private gardens and washing private cars – but businesses were not affected.
United Utilities said its customers saved about of three billion litres (880 million gallons) of water during the period of the ban.
