The Council of the Isles of Scilly is the only Local Authority in the UK which acts as a responsible public water supplier and there are various sections of water legislation, including the Water Industry Act 1991, that either (a) do not apply to the islands or (b) apply only in part. The government is, however, in the process of introducing legislation that will see these gaps filled.
As the responsible public water supplier for the island of St Mary’s, we have taken the precautionary step of introducing water conservation measures throughout August, including a hose pipe ban, in line with legislative provisions applicable across the rest of England under the Water Industry Act, in order to preserve the Authority’s water supplies for the benefit of all members of the community.
These precautionary steps have been taken as a result of a prolonged spell of dry weather that has caused the inland wells on St Mary’s, which supply around two thirds of our total water supply, to fall below normal depths for the time of year.
Furthermore, water consumption for the months of June & July was at its highest since 2011.
By acting collectively and responsibly we will ensure there are sufficient supplies of drinking water for every resident and visitor to continue to enjoy during this spell of fantastic weather.