Latest news with #GuernseyWater
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
No hosepipe ban but water use warning issued
Guernsey's water supplier has told customers it has no plans to issue a hosepipe ban, but urged islanders not to be wasteful. A message posted by Guernsey Water on Facebook said while overall storage levels were 4.5% below the 10-year average - which equated to a fortnight's water use - the amount available was still in a "healthier position" than areas of the UK where bans have been issued. The company urged customers to be mindful of water use over the summer, in case circumstances changed. It said it would issue monthly updates to customers on whether the chances of a hosepipe ban had increased or not. More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey Recent hot weather led to Southern Water, Yorkshire Water, South East Water and Thames Water to impose hosepipe bans to some of their customers. Guernsey Water said the situation in the island was not as urgent as the areas where hosepipe bans had been put in place. A spokesperson for the company said: "Right now, if the current trends continue, we will not face a hosepipe ban this summer. "This doesn't mean you should all go and pressure wash your driveways, leave the sprinkler running or choose Bohemian Rhapsody as your shower song - but it does mean that at this stage voluntary cuts is all we will continue to ask for." Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to More on this story Hampshire and Isle of Wight hosepipe ban begins Islanders asked to cut water use after hot weather Guernsey Water backs plan for new reservoir Related internet links Guernsey Water
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Islanders asked to cut water use as levels 'under pressure'
Guernsey Water has asked the public to make voluntary cuts to their water use after the Island experienced its warmest June in 180 utility company made the request alongside a time-lapse video highlighting the diminishing water supplies in a reservoir on the Water said its storage levels were "under pressure" due to high water usage and "hardly any rainfall".It said it expected to have less in its water tanks at this time of the year but was about "200 million litres off where we normally are". 'Every drop counts' Guernsey Water said: "We rounded off the month with our highest water use the year yet - hitting 15.4 million litres as the mercury touched 30.4C (87F) – three million more than average."We've barely even started the traditional summer months and this sort of usage coupled with hardly any rainfall means our storage levels are under pressure."Most of the years rain fell in January, when we were at 100% storage so couldn't capture any more."The company said "tiny tweaks" like not washing cars, letting rain water the grass and capturing shower warm-up water to use on plants would help cut the weekly deficit and protect supplies. It added: "Last week we collected 58 million litres, last week we used 91 million litres, that's a shortfall of 33 million litres."Remember, every drop counts, every action adds up, if we each save a little, we all save a lot."
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dry spring affects Channel Island water supplies
Channel Islanders are being asked to think twice about their water usage after a particularly dry was the warmest spring on record for the island according to the Jersey Met Office, and also the third driest since records began in Guernsey, it was the second warmest but since May was slightly wetter, it was the 11th meant water reserves were below average in both islands. 'Minimise wastage' In Jersey, the water company was "cautious but not concerned" even though it was prepared to use the desalination plant just in case it was needed later in the reservoirs were 89.1% full, 5% below the five-year average and 3% below the 10-year Bowden, Head of Water Resilience for Jersey Water said when the island last experienced drought in 2022, the company was at or around the average capacity of water supply at this time of Bowden said while they were not looking at introducing formal water restrictions at this time they encouraged customers to minimise wastage. But he had not ruled out introducing restrictions later in the summer. 'Think twice' Guernsey Water said the island's water storage levels were 3% below what it was "comfortable with".Recent data from the utility showed levels were sat at around 91.5% which was around 10 day's supply, below its optimal there were no restrictions in place at the moment, Guernsey Water had asked islanders to think twice about if they needed to water their gardens or wash their cars and to practice water saving utility said it would be posting weekly updates on storage levels, each Friday on its Facebook was announced recently that only a limited amount of water could be used from the island's largest raw water storage reservoir due to traces of a pesticide being found. Ashraf Elsergany, the Managing Director of Saints Bay hotel said it can be difficult to manage water usage at a hotel has 35 bedrooms, 12 rooms for staff accommodation, a swimming pool, bar and restaurant, all of which need to use Elsergany said that as a hotel they can not ask customers to not have a shower but they could ask them to "use it sensibly".The swimming pool remained a challenge Elsergany said they "continue to fill up the swimming pool daily" due to evaporation from the sun and a need for more water after the daily chemical Elsergany saids that if any restrictions were to come into place they might have to try "negotiate" how it would work with their hotel. La Mare Wine Estate in Jersey , which grows grapes and apples, was faring well despite the dry weather. Managing Director Tim Crowley said the young vines needed a lot of watering but mature ones had very long roots which searched for water Crowley said there was a "plus and a minus side" as they get a lot less disease in dry weather and were in a "much better than average" place at the 1996 they put in underground tanks which had the capacity to collect 30,000 litres of rain water and this was topped up from a borehole when needed so the business has access to a large amount of free water.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rectory Hill opened after water pipework installed
A main road in Guernsey has reopened after 12 weeks of Hill had been closed since 4 March while Guernsey Water installed 1,312ft (400m) of pipework as part of the development of a new main ring for the northern Water said the ring main acted like a motorway for the water next phase of the work, which involves installing an additional 1,640ft (500m) of pipework, has already begun on Route de L'Eglise, in Castel, and is due to be finished next year, the water company said. Carl Falla from Guernsey Water said: "The ring main is essential island infrastructure, with increased growth and development across the island."Failing to carry out this work now could result in pressure drops and even a loss of supply to thousands in future."He said the project was one of the largest new water infrastructure investments being undertaken by the utility company and was estimated to take between five and seven years to complete - at the cost of about £11m.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Guernsey bans pesticide after traces found in reservoir
The pesticide metamitron has been banned in Guernsey after traces of the compound were found in the island's largest raw water storage reservoir, Guernsey Water announced. The chemical was found in a routine water quality sample taken at Longue Hougue Reservoir on the 27 February with the reservoir isolated from the supply while investigations were carried quality risk manager Daffyd Griffiths said only a very limited supply of water could be used but rigorous testing schedules had detected the chemical early enough to protect the island's drinking warned if the current dry weather continued or another pollution incident occurred the island could face a water shortage. He said: "We continue to urge islanders to follow guidelines when using any pesticide, that includes herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. "Do not spray if rain is forecast, do not apply on or near streams, on hard surfaces or near drains. "This includes road drains which often discharge into streams, and always ensure that any left over chemicals or containers are disposed of correctly."The source has not been identified, but it is believed it may be the result of a single use somewhere within the water catchment area in the centre of the island. Mr Griffiths said: "Water from Longue Hougue is now having to be used in reduced volumes."He said it was being diluted with water from other reservoirs and this and "carbon dosing at the island's northern treatment works, has resulted in metamitron being completely removed".Mr Griffiths said: "The restricted use of Longue Hougue reservoir does impact our water resources position."With an exceptionally dry spring and the restricted use of 27% of the island's stored water, if the current dry spell of weather continues or another pollution incident occurs we could be facing a water shortage, and a requirement for usage restrictions as time goes on"We would like to take this opportunity to remind islanders to always use water wisely."
