Thames Water urges millions of Britons to stop using hosepipes but stops short of outright ban

Thames Water has urged millions of its customers to stop using hosepipes in a bid to conserve water but stopped short of announcing an outright ban.

The water authority, which supplies millions of Britons, stopped short of an outright ban despite the record-breaking May temperatures soaring across the country.

Its customers in London and the south east have been encouraged to opt for a water can over hoses and sprinklers amid a 50 per cent rise in demand for water.

Britons were advised to keep a bowl of water in the sink to quench their plants' thirst instead.

Last Monday saw the hottest day in May on record, as temperatures reached 35C in parts of London, the Met Office confirmed.

In a statement, the firm said: "This kind of weather leads to rapid spikes in water use, particularly for outdoor activities like watering gardens, filling paddling pools and using hoses and sprinklers."

It added that 387 million more litres than usual were used on Monday as Britons basked in the blistering sunshine.

Thames Water further assured its customers that it is "working hard in these extreme weather conditions to keep your water flowing".

Thames Water asked their customers to avoid watering gardens during the day and let their lawns become dry, reassuring Britons their grass will recover.

Britons are also being encouraged to avoid watering their plants during peak periods.

The water firm blamed a surge in use on more people watering gardens, filling paddling pools and using sprinklers and hosepipes in their gardens.

As a result, it encouraged consumers to recycle by using paddling pools to water the plants once finished.

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Due to the sweltering heat over the past week, a number of water companies across the nation have sounded the alarm over water shortages, including South East Water.

Bournemouth beachgoers have been ordered not to use water to rinse their feet amid a supply crisis, for instance.

Its water supplier told those taking advantage of the heatwave to let sand dry on their feet before brushing it off, adding it was one of the "few simple choices" that could "go a long way".

Meanwhile, five hundred Britons across Kent have been left without drinking water as the company is currently attempting to revive the county's supplies.

After restoring tap water for more than 15,000 homes, South East Water's incident manager Steve Benton said the firm was "conscious that today is another hot day and demand is therefore remaining high".

Some of the affected areas include Cranbrook, Ulcombe, Mereworth, Kemsing and Wrotham.

Meanwhile, approximately 3,600 customers could have low water pressure or unreliable supply throughout the day, impacting those in Coxheath, Loose, Headcorn, Ulcombe and Brenenden and Wraik Hill.

The manager said: "We are sincerely sorry to customers for disruption to their water supply and know how frustrating it is, especially in hot weather.

"While tap water supplies have returned for most customers who have been impacted across Kent, some may still experience water supply issues as a result of the incredibly high demand during this heatwave."

Water companies are hoping the upcoming cooler weather conditions could ease some of the pressure on nationwide demand.