PEOPLE living in parts of Kent could face low water pressure or have no water at all if people do not stop wasting it.

Mid Kent Water, based in Snodland, is pleading with people to stop using excessive amounts, because supplies are at crucially low levels.

The water company, which supplies consumers in Paddock Wood, Snodland, Maidstone, Faversham, Ashford, Whitstable, Canterbury, and Tenterden, is keen to point out that the problems are not due to unusually low water levels but to the casual way people are using supplies.

The recent heatwave and people watering their gardens with hoses are being blamed.

At the moment, Tenterden, St Michael's and Biddenden have the largest problems, with the shortage being compounded by contractors who drilled through a water main in Biddenden.

A Mid Kent Water spokeswoman said: "We are pumping all available sources into the area but demand is limiting our ability to recharge local water storage.

"This may result in some customers receiving low pressure or even experiencing intermittent supply if demand is not reduced."

Staff are begging people to use water wisely. If watering is absolutely necessary do it with a watering can. Garden hose use should be limited and sprinklers avoided. Showers are also more water-efficient than baths.

A fortnight ago, the company warned that supplies per head in the South East were now lower than in Egypt, Morocco and Kenya.