Hosepipe Ban In Jersey

A hosepipe ban is coming into force in Jersey from Friday 26 August.

People in the island will be told not to use a hosepipe around the household to:

• Water gardens or lawns
• Wash vehicles
• Fill ponds or pools 
• Run a sprinkler or a presser washer
• Clean windows, paths or other surfaces outdoors.

These activities are allowed with a bucket or watering can.

The restrictions will be in place for up to four months (until 26 December).

Anyone who uses a hosepipe around the household during the ban period could be fined up to £2,000.

Jersey Water CEO Helier Smith says it's a precautionary measure.

"We've just been through one of the driest summers on record and actually the whole year has been much drier than normal and as a result of the dry weather and above-normal water consumption, our reservoir levels are approximately 10% below where they'd normally be for this time of year.

We're uncertain at the moment as to what the autumn rainfall is going to look like, so as a precautionary measure, we're taking the opportunity to ask our customers to use less water to preserve those resources for the coming months."

Reservoir levels are currently about 68% full.

The desalination plant is currently running and is producing around 10.8 million litres of water per day.

Despite that, the reservoir levels are still going down because of the water demand during weekends and the dry weather.

There have been two meteorological droughts in Jersey this summer alone.

Jersey had its driest July on record this year, with just 0.7mm of rain falling.

"We're really looking for substantial rainfall over the coming weeks and months to restore streamflows so that the reservoir can replenish on their own naturally without the need for desalination.

That's really going to be one of the key triggers and decision points around lifting restrictions." - Helier Smith, Jersey Water.

The restrictions only apply to households. They don't apply to business operations.

Environment Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf has called on islanders to accept this ban and do what they can to minimise their water usage.

"We are all aware that this has been a summer of extraordinary weather, with record-breaking high temperatures and prolonged periods of drought. It is not surprising, therefore, that Jersey Water should now be taking measures to restrict discretionary use of water.

We need to think not only about water supply this summer but also next year. If we run down reserves too much in the next few weeks then our water supply will be highly vulnerable next year, particularly if we have a dry winter."