Jersey Water is urging Islanders to use water “sparingly and for essentials only” as reservoir levels continue to fall during the Island’s prolonged spell of dry weather.
In a social-media appeal, the utility reassured customers that there is no hosepipe ban in Jersey yet, but warned that reducing water use now could help avoid restrictions later.
“Give your hose a rest for now,” the post said. “We don’t have a hosepipe ban here yet, unlike more than half of England which is officially in drought.
“Help us keep the ban at bay by only using what you really need each day. Your garden will bounce back.”
Jersey Water’s head of water resilience and emergency planning Mark Bowden said the lack of rainfall was putting increasing pressure on the Island’s water supplies.
“With the ongoing dry weather and lack of rain, we are definitely seeing pressure on our water supplies,” he explained.
“Reservoir levels are dropping, water usage is high and there is no significant rain forecast.”
The Island’s reservoirs are currently 76.5% full, compared with a ten-year average of 81.3%, and levels have fallen by 13.7% since the start of July.
Mr Bowden said Jersey was not yet at the stage of introducing restrictions but warned that the Island “could be heading that way” if dry conditions persist.
“We have the desalination plant on standby and are closely monitoring the situation while also planning ahead for autumn when reservoir levels usually fall to their lowest,” he said.
He urged Islanders to make simple changes to reduce demand.
“The best way of making our water last is to limit what we use, so we are appealing to Islanders to use water sparingly and for essentials only,” added Mr Bowden.
“Small changes at home and at work really add up – taking shorter showers, only running washing machines and dishwashers when full, and limiting outdoor watering all make a difference.”
