Drought ban ‘could be worse’
July 11th 2006 After fears window cleaners and other businesses could be crippled under a blanket ban, it appears water companies have backed down from their initial hard line stance. Cleaning Matters editor, Brendan Coyne, spoke with Sutton & East Surrey Water, The Federation of Window Cleaners’Steve Lowe and Omnipole’s Glyn Howard
Environment Minister Ian Pearson granted Sutton and East Surrey Water’s request for a drought order at the end of May, paving the way for further bans across the South East. However, what initially appeared a disaster for many small businesses may not be as bleak as feared. Pearson has urged the water companies to be socially and economically responsible in their implementation of the ban – and they appear to be listening. The order, which is valid for six months, means the company can restrict or prohibit what it considers to be non-essential uses of water. Yet Sutton and East Surrey is keen to impress upon its customers that the order need not be a commercial disaster.
No mains, no pain
“We are attempting to try and implement the order with as little affect as possible to businesses,” company spokesperson Liz Thorne told Cleaning Matters. “As a rule anything that requires being attached to the mains is banned. But if, for example, you had to clean an aeroplane, there is nothing to say that water cannot be taken from our source and put into a tank. Provided it is not connected directly to the mains, it is not banned. We are taking a phased approach, of which this is the first step. We will will implement phase two and phase three if we feel they are necessary.”
Window cleaners, which had been concerned by the company’s initial response (that there were “other jobs in the area”) will also be able to carry on working using water fed poles – provided they are not attached directly to the mains. They are asked to clean lower level windows using squeegees where necessary. Sutton and East Surrey has also made an exception for the cleaning of industrial premises and the cleaning of offensive graffiti from buildings.
Glyn Howard, owner of a window cleaning firm and managing director of water-fed pole manufacturer, Omnipole, says he is delighted with the outcome. “Defra gave the water company carte blanche in terms of responsibility. But despite an initial hard line approach, Sutton and East Surrey have made some valuable concessions – and I would be very surprised if the other water companies didn’t follow its lead.”
Howard says alongside himself, Ionic founder Craig Mawlam and the Federation of Window Cleaners council member, Steve Lowe, spent hundreds of hours spearheading the drive to exclude water-fed poles from the ban. Lowe said the health and safety issue was crucial in securing the exemption, as window cleaners would have been forced to put their lives at risk as a direct result of the water company’s measures. “Thankfully, all the hard work has paid off.” Lowe also runs a cleaning business which will be affected by the ban, but says it will be possible for most cleaning firms to work around the ban using different cleaning methods. He says the Federation will now be issuing guidance on efficient use of water.
“The last couple of months have been the most challenging yet, but we are pleased that our efforts to inform Defra about how these drought orders affect the window cleaning industry have paid off,” says Lowe. “We hope to get similar concessions from other water companies as more drought orders are announced.”
The Federation also advises window cleaners to be prepared for all circumstances. If a window cleaner does decide to bring in water from outside the drought regions, it is advisable for them to keep track of where they have obtained the water if possible, says Lowe. People in many neighbourhoods throughout those areas have already reported their neighbours for using hosepipes, and are likely to do the same to window cleaners. It will be important for window cleaners to be prepared if they are reported. However, if needed, the water can be sampled to identify where the water has been acquired from.
Ladder safety
Additionally, some window cleaners who either cannot use tanks because they do not have one or cannot get water from outside the drought area will likely choose to clean windows using traditional methods. The Fed advises that cleaners should be careful to perform a complete risk assessment, and follow HSE safety guidelines for working at height. Whenever possible, use of ladders should be limited, and windows should be cleaned from the inside. When they are used, ladders should be secured to the wall on stable ground, and one hand and both feet kept on the ladder at all times. Last year saw 53 deaths and 3800 major injuries from workplace falls from heights in the UK.
Clouds on the horizon
Despite the relative good news for local business, Sutton and East Surrey is still concerned for the region’s longer term future. It claims April rainfall in the company’s supply area was 18% below the longterm average, continuing the worst drought in the South East of England for nearly 100 years.
“This is very worrying,” said Mike Hegarty, Sutton and East Surrey Water’s Operations Director. “The recharge period has effectively ended with the onset of warmer weather and the growing season. It is highly unlikely that any of the recent rain will sink into the aquifer. This means we are entering the summer period with resources at historic lows.
“While we are confident that we have enough water to see us through the summer, we are very concerned about the longer term and, in particular, the possibility of another third dry winter which would almost certainly lead to severe restrictions. We have never been in this situation before.” More articles from Cleaning Matters: | 
