Hosepipe ban announced for Hampshire and Isle of Wight - how long will it last?
Drought conditions are becoming increasingly likely across the UK.
Roughly a million people have been banned from using their hosepipes as a ban is introduced across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Southern Water has followed in the footsteps of Anglian Water and Cambridge Water, enforcing a hosepipe ban with immediate effect. This will impact all homes where Southern Water is the water supplier.
Properties supplied by Portsmouth Water will not be affected - with the company not announcing any plans for a hosepipe ban at the time of publication.
A statement on the Southern Water website reads: “A hosepipe ban is in place in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. Please use water wisely.
“The warmest spring on record, followed by a record-breaking heatwave, has left river levels 25 per cent lower than expected for this time of year. The River Test has lost a third of its water within the last month, putting pressure on our ability to treat and supply your water. To protect local rivers, including the River Test and Itchen that supply most of your water, and to keep taps flowing we need to introduce restrictions.
“A hosepipe ban stops customers using a hosepipe for non-essential activities, including watering gardens, filling paddling pools or hot tubs, or washing cars, patios or windows.”
The only exception for the hosepipe ban is for newly-laid turf, which can be watered with a hosepipe for its first 28 days.
Another record tumbled on Thursday, July 9, when the UK recorded its eighth day at or above 34 degrees Celsius in a calendar year, breaking the previous high of seven days set in the summer of 1976 and in 2020.
UK officials recently warned that the risk of drought conditions in some parts of the country is becoming increasingly likely, with water companies scrambling to manage increasingly tight resources.
Southern Water has told residents it will lift the ban “as soon as we can”, but added that there is no concrete day for this. The hosepipe ban will only be lifted once the water level in reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifiers returns to a sufficient level to meet demand.
In the most recent statement from Portsmouth Water, a spokesperson said: “We have no plans to introduce a temporary use ban. However, with this period of hot weather continuing, we would urge all our customers to use water wisely.”
To see if you are affected by the Southern Water hosepipe ban, use the postcode checker on their website.