AS THE clock ticks down to the start of a hosepipe ban to be imposed on August 5, Cumbria is also moving closer to a drought order being declared.

It is understood that water company United Utilities has reached stage three of four drought ‘triggers’.

These triggers are developed in consultation with the Environment Agency and are key points where the company takes the state of resources into account in relation to supply needs.

In west Cumbria, the first drought trigger was increasing the amount of water taken from boreholes, which was implemented a week ago.

Applying for an order would mean gaining Environment Agency permission to take more water than usual from rivers and underground sources to help maintain reservoir levels. An “emergency” drought order would permit water companies to impose rationing and standpipes in the streets.

The Met Office says we have had the driest June since the drought year of 1976 and that the warm and dry weather is expected to continue over most of Britain for the next month, interrupted by only occasional rain showers.

There have been reports of a drop in water pressure in some parts of Cumbria recently, but United Utilities says this is likely to have been caused by a local incident, such as a leak, and has nothing to do with low water levels.

United Utilities has been criticised for imposing a hosepipe ban when it is losing 430 million litres of water every day from leakages. Nationally, more than three billion litres of water are lost to leaks every day across the UK, according to water watchdog Ofwat.

Most of Cumbria – including Barrow, Millom, Keswick, Workington and Whitehaven – and the north west will be subjected to a hosepipe ban from August 5, with the exception of householders in Carlisle and the north Eden Valley which are supplied by local sources not part of the United Utilities network.

Anyone caught flouting the ban faces a fine of up to £1,000.

When the hosepipe ban comes into effect from August 5, the following activities will be prohibited:

Watering a garden using a hosepipe

Cleaning a private vehicle using a hosepipe

Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe

Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe

Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool

Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use

Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe

Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain

Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe

Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe

Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

Customers can still do all the above if:

They use mains water from a bucket or watering can

Use water that is not sourced from the mains such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe, or private boreholes for example.

For more information, contact United Utilities on 0800 107 8861 or go to www.unitedutilities.com