Golf clubs in parts of southern England could be banned from irrigating their courses with mains water if government approval is given for tighter drought restrictions on businesses.
South East Water, Southern Water and South West Water have applied to impose non-essential use bans in parts of their regions, according to a report in the Guardian. Golf clubs would be affected alongside private schools, which could be prevented from watering playing fields, and commercial car washes.
Businesses have so far been exempt from the hosepipe restrictions that have applied to the public for the past three months. The applications need approval from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which has yet to respond.
The pressure on supplies is continuing. Eleven areas of England remain in drought, with Yorkshire the latest to be added on October 9. Reservoir levels across England stand at 54 percent, around a fifth below the norm for this time of year. Nineteen reservoirs or reservoir groups in England and Wales are less than half full, and eight are exceptionally low, compared with five in August.
The Met Office says it will take sustained above-average rainfall over seven months to end the drought. England received only about 65 percent of its typical rainfall in September, with the east and south hit hardest.
River flows are also a concern. Seven areas have exceptionally low flows, including the Derwent in the north-east, the Yare and Ely Ouse in the east and the Hampshire Avon. The report notes that rivers can take years to recover from low flows, with potentially serious effects on fish spawning.
In Hampshire, Southern Water is seeking a drought order that would let it take more water from the River Test, citing a clear threat to supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It also wants a ban on non-essential use by businesses.
Sam Bottomley, South West Water’s director for drinking water services, said the region is entering a critical phase of an exceptionally prolonged drought, and warned that recovery takes far longer than people assume once rain returns. With no significant rain forecast for the coming weeks, he said the immediate challenge is to cut demand and conserve stored water.
The Angling Trust has backed further restrictions on non-essential use, alongside action on leakage and over-abstraction.