AS millions in the north-west of England face a hosepipe ban from August 5, residents living in the South East Water supply area are being asked to work together to conserve water by avoiding none-essential water use.

While falling short of a ban, as the hot weather continues, SE Water is asking customers not to use their sprinklers and hosepipes to water their gardens – a water sprinkler can use up to 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour.

The aim is to ease pressure on the company’s extensive network of 9,000 miles of pipes, pumping stations and treatment works, which are working round the clock to keep taps running.

SE Water saw the highest ever leve of water use across parts of Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, and Kent, on Sunday, July 15.

To cope with this, the company is producing around an extra 100 million litres a day – the equivalent of 1.25 million flushes of the toilet.

SE Water customer services director Steve George said: “When water use peaks like this, some of our customers may experience lower than normal pressures.

“Peak demand is usually in the evening from 5pm to 7pm and we are asking our customers to avoid non-essential water use, such as sprinklers, to help us make sure there is enough water for everyone.

“Our water supplies are good for this time of year, but in the same way that motorways can become jammed when rush-hour is busier than normal, using water sprinklers and hosepipes adds huge pressure to the normal peak-period demands of the dishwasher or washing machine, showering and bathing, and toilet flushing, and our water network simply cannot deliver the water quickly enough.”

There are some simple things customers can do during a hot period to limit the amount of extra water we use and make sure none is wasted:

•Keeping a jug of water in the fridge means you don’t have to run the tap until it is cold enough to drink

•Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth

•Fix leaky loos and dripping taps

•Only use the dishwasher and washing machine when full

•Use paddling pool water on the garden afterwards

•Use a hosepipe rather than a watering can

•When water is in short supply, grass responds by shutting down and turning brown showing that it has stopped growing until more favourable conditions return. Most lawns will recover completely when the rain finally arrives.

Saving water means saving money too and customers can find top tips and free water saving devices online at: www.southeastwater.co.uk/savewater.