A COUNCILLOR has branded a Thames Water hosepipe ban as “insulting” to the people of Islington.

The ban, affecting households across Islington, came into force yesterday (Thursday) after months of exceptionally dry weather, repeated heatwaves and soaring demand has placed increasing pressure on water supply.

Earlier this year, businesses were destroyed after a burst Thames Water pipe submerged Caledonian Road.

Councillor Paul Convery, who represents the ward, said: “This hosepipe ban comes only days after Thames’ senior executives trousered yet more staggering bonuses. Their infrastructure is failing Londoners on a daily basis and around a quarter of all London’s water is lost through leaks and bursts. It really is an insult for folk in the Cally which experienced a catastrophic flood when millions of litres of water was wasted.”

Last week, Thames Water announced bonus payments for “key management personnel” from £2.8million to over £4million.

The temporary ban means customers supplied by Thames Water must not use hosepipes for non-essential activities such as watering gardens, lawns, washing cars, cleaning patios and driveways or filling paddling pools, swimming pools and hot tubs. Water can still be used for essential needs such as drinking, cooking and washing, while buckets and watering cans remain permitted.

Last month was the warmest June on record for England and the second warmest for the UK as a whole, according to data from the Met Office.

Demand for water in London is currently around 7 per cent above normal levels, with customers across London and the Thames Valley using an extra 100 million litres of water every day. Thames Water said that during periods of peak demand, water has been used faster than it can be treated and moved through parts of the network, placing additional pressure on local supply.

Thames Water said it is currently repairing more than 750 leaks every week while continuing to deliver its “biggest upgrade” to its network in 150 years including laying more than 100km of new water mains since April 2025.

Nevil Muncaster, Director of Strategic Water Resources at Thames Water, said: “Our teams are working 24/7 to keep water moving, fix leaks and support customers. We will keep the situation under close review and lift restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”