A good part of the Lake District is dealing with the first hosepipe ban in 14 years and it has many United Utilities’ customers steaming, including some of the Lake District hotels and other travel attractions. Customers are complaining that United Utilities has a shoddy, run down infrastructure that is part of the reason for the water shortage, as well as the fact that some of the Lake District water reserves are sent as far away as Manchester.
United Utilities has stated that they are doing the best they can within the current economy to shore up and replace pipelines and other parts of their infrastructure. They also have said that they have been able to shift water supplies easier this year so that Manchester is not getting the majority of its water from the Lake District.
The reason for the hosepipe ban is the 8 months of unusually dry weather the entire north west part of the country has had. Less than half the normal rainfall fell in May for the Lake District after several months of lowered rainfall and the results are water reservoirs that are 30-50% lower than they should be. Rivers and small streams are also affected and the Environment Agency has had teams of specialists out rescuing fish that have become caught in dwindling pools as rivers seem to disappear.
Teams of fisheries officers have performed 19 fish rescue operations on various rivers across the country. They use nets to scoop up the trapped fish, putting them into tanks of aerated water on the backs of trucks. They then drive to where the rivers are still flowing and release the fish. According to one fisheries officer, Simon Whitton, it is rare to have to do these fish rescues on rivers.
In the Lake District, hotels and other travel related businesses are feeling the pinch. Travelers are staying away due to the low water situation but as Tony Scott says, “there are many other areas of interest in the Lake District besides swimming and fishing.”
“The unusual stretch of dry weather has made the generally damp Lake District a very pleasant place to holiday this summer,” said Scott, the administrator of Discover the Lakes, a web portal for Lake District hotels and attractions.
“With the drop in business, this may be the ideal time for travelers to come up for a weekend holiday. It is quieter than normal for this time of year and many Lake District hotels are offering special rates.”