Drought declared in south west Wales, as hosepipe ban starts

An extended period of dry weather and low rain caused water levels to plummet in parts of Wales, leading to a declaration of a dry spell.

The first hosepipe ban in Wales for more than 30 years comes into force on Monday.

Parts of Carmarthenshire are covered by the ban.

People won't be allowed to use a hose to wash their cars or water their plants.

In south-west Wales, the threshold was met on Friday.

The decision was taken by NRW and the Welsh government's Drought Liaison Group after they discussed the impact the long heatwave had had on the environment.

North Ceredigion, Teifi, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend are affected.

During the recent heat waves, the company said it had seen record-breaking demand.

There was not an immediate risk to water supplies in the area because it was acting to ensure enough water remained for customers.

The rules will be in place for a number of weeks.

Welsh Water said that other water companies in England had already introduced hosepipe bans.

Image source, Getty Images

Wendy Kinver's garden near Fishguard was nominated for the Daily Mail's garden of the year competition.

She lost several plants and trees due to the hot, dry weather, and without her hosepipe it would be hard to replant.

It's usually a very wet garden, and we've planted plants to suit those conditions, so of course they are suffering badly.

On one plot we have a pond that fills with natural spring water so my husband and I will be hand- watering from it all the time.

She was surprised that a hosepipe ban was needed.

She said she couldn't understand why Welsh Water hadn't been able to store the water enough.

The situation could pose a real problem for a lot of people according to Simon Richards.

We're used to being able to use our hosepipes whenever we need to, and if you've created a beautiful garden and spent a lot of money, you don't want your plants to die.

The climate is changing, and water is becoming scarcer and more valuable, which is why he has designed his garden to be more water- and climate- resistant.

One of the areas in England where an official dry spell was declared last week was where Mr Richards moved.

We need to change our systems because rainfall is decreasing and becoming more sporadic.

Choosing plants wisely, planting during the autumn rather than the spring, and harvesting rain water are all becoming more and more important.

People aren't allowed to use hosepipes or anything that connects to a hosepipe or an outside tap if they want to.

• water a garden or plants
• fill a paddling or swimming pool
• clean a car
• fill a pond
• clean walls or windows

Some exceptions are available.

• for business use (for example, watering commercial crops or running a car wash business)
• to fill pools needed for medical treatment
• to water a new lawn within 28 days of it being laid
• to fill a fountain used for religious practices
• to top up a fishpond when the welfare of the fish depends on it

Adapting to the changing climate was one of the main concerns of the head gardener at the National Trust's Colby Woodland Garden.

He said that they do rain collection off the roofs of their buildings and use a hosepipe for plants in containers.

He had to relocate tadpoles due to the dry conditions.

The water table is probably a foot lower at the bottom of the valley and the stream has dried up.

hosepipe bans usually reduce water usage by 10%, according to Water UK.

Welsh Water said that the hosepipe ban would remain in place until there had been enough rain to replenish the water supplies.

Llys-f- Fran and Rosebush are the main sources of water.

Water has been moved from the company's Capi Dewi works in Carmarthenshire to the Rhoshill hamlet near Cilgerran.

The area currently experiencing a hosepipe ban is one of 24 water resource zones in Wales.

Each of the zones is self-contained with only limited opportunity to transfer water across the boundaries.

Even if the overall position with regard to water availability in Wales is healthy, local measures to be put in pace may need to be put in motion.

Ian Christie, Welsh Water's managing director of water services, said the decision to introduce the ban was not taken lightly.

There would be a real risk of further restrictions later if we did not take action now.

With no rain in the forecast, it's important that we all work together to keep the water flowing.

He said that the company appreciated the steps people had already taken to limit the amount of water they use, but that they should not use a hosepipe.