No need for drought orders after April floods

Following exceptionally heavy rain in April and the first few days of May, the water company said it has scrapped its plans to ask the Environment Agency for a drought order to take more water from the River Thames.
The Met Office has announced that Berkshire experienced it second wettest April since records began in 1910, with 136.6mm of rainfall, 272 per cent more than the average rainfall for April.
However, the hosepipe ban in West Berkshire and the rest of the Thames Valley will remain, after below-average rainfall for 20 of the previous 26 months.
The drought status has been lifted in 19 areas of the UK, including most parts of Wiltshire, the Midlands and parts of Yorkshire following persistent rainfall during the past month.
Thames Water’s sustainability director, Richard Aylard said: “It is a great relief for us that we can now rule out seeking a Drought Order this year.
“No water company wants to impose restrictions on its customers for any longer than absolutely necessary. Despite all the recent rain, we still have a serious groundwater shortage, and we could yet have a long hot summer, so, much as we’d love to, it would be irresponsible for us to lift the hosepipe ban just yet.”
Mr Aylard added that some boreholes in the Thames Valley are still at ‘exceptionally’ low levels. He said it would be a couple of weeks before it is known just how much of the recent rain has found its way deep underground to top them up.