The Met Office issued an amber heat warning as the UK could see temperatures as high as 35 degrees over the weekend, the Guardian reported on 13 August 20221. The same day, bottled water stations were opened in Surrey after residents were left without water due to a technical issue at Netley Mill water treatment works, which serves 8,500 properties in Cranleigh and surrounding villages1.
Thames Water said it was doing everything it could to resume supplies and had set up three hubs where local people could pick up bottled water, with more to open if there was demand1. Households across postcodes GU5, GU6, RH4, RH5 and RH12 were affected1. The outage came one day after a drought was officially declared in eight regions in England1.
The company advised that the supplies were for essential use and asked people to take only what they needed1.
"If you have a neighbour who's unable to get to a water station, please let us know and we'll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out."
Jeremy Hunt, the MP for South West Surrey, said he had "big concerns" over the water outage and had contacted Thames Water's chief executive, Sarah Bentley, on Saturday morning1. Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water had all imposed hosepipe bans, while Yorkshire Water's restrictions were to be introduced on 26 August1. Thames Water, which the Guardian reported loses more than 635 million litres of water a day, was expected to introduce a hosepipe ban in the coming weeks, affecting 15 million people in London and the surrounding areas1.
Increasing temperatures had sparked wildfires, with four fire engines tackling a blaze in Derbyshire on Friday, and firefighters also called to blazes in east London and Dorset1.
| Warning or restriction | Detail | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Met Office amber heat warning | Temperatures possibly reaching 35 degrees over the weekend | Reported 13 August 20221 |
| Drought declared | Eight regions in England | One day before the outage was reported1 |
| Hosepipe bans in force | Welsh Water, Southern Water, South East Water | Reported 13 August 20221 |
| Yorkshire Water restrictions | Hosepipe ban | From 26 August1 |
| Thames Water hosepipe ban | Expected in the coming weeks, affecting 15 million people | Not yet dated1 |
Why it matters for households
An amber heat warning is the middle of the three Met Office warning levels, between yellow and red; the Met Office weather warnings guide explains what each level means. Heat carries health risks, and the heat-health alerts guide sets out how yellow, amber and red alerts work and who they are aimed at. The Adverse Weather and Health Plan describes how health and care services respond during hot spells.
For households in the affected Surrey postcodes, the practical effect was a loss of mains water on one of the hottest days of the year, with bottled water available from three Thames Water hubs for drinking, cooking and hand washing1. Thames Water asked people to take only what they needed and to tell the company about neighbours unable to reach a water station1. The drought declaration and the hosepipe bans reported at the time restricted outdoor water use in several regions1. The heatwaves and drought hub covers heat, water scarcity and related guidance.
What happens next
Yorkshire Water's restrictions were due to be introduced on 26 August1. Thames Water's hosepipe ban was expected in the coming weeks but no date had been reported1. Thames Water said it was working to resume supplies and would open more bottled water hubs if there was demand1. The Guardian reported that the amber heat warning covered the weekend1; any extension beyond it had not been reported. Households can sign up for Met Office weather alerts and for heat-health alerts.
Heat-Health Alerts Explained
Met Office Weather Warnings
