Jersey's desalination plant has been started up, ready to help with water supply following the warmest June on record.
Jersey Water has begun running the desalination plant, which converts seawater into fresh water.
It is expecting to need to use the emergency supply, following a dry June that was the warmest on record, and the third driest spring.
Current supplies are 'well below' the 10-year average, which Mark Bowden, Head of Resilience and Emergency Planning at Jersey Water, says is a good benchmark for where we should be at this time of the year.
Supplies are currently lower at the moment than they were in 2022, which is when the desalination plant was last used, and a hosepipe ban was introduced in the August.
June 2025 in Jersey - Warmest June since records began at the Maison St. Louis Observatory in 1894, with the hottest June day on record, 33.4°C on the 30th June. During the month we also recorded a meteorological heatwave, three consecutive days with 28°C or more. pic.twitter.com/Pp1KYsaqda
— Jersey Met (@Jersey_Met) July 8, 2025
With 2,163 million litres in storage, Mark says that we have between 80 - 90 days left of supply, but as it gets warmer, people use more water.
"The outlook is dry.
"If we are going to bring in restrictions, then it will be in August."
He says, whilst there are no official bans yet, they are posting on social media how to cut down water usage:
"If and when we do put them in place, it would be on things like hosepipes for filling pools or ponds, or washing cars.
"We recommend people use tips and tricks to reduce their water usage.
"For four-minute showers, there are good playlists knocking around with four-minute songs, my favourite would be Living on A Prayer by Bon Jovi."
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