Portsmouth Water says it 'will not' impose hosepipe ban following regional drought fears

Portsmouth Water has announced it won’t need to implement a ban this summer but warned it will be monitoring the situation ‘on a daily basis’.

The news comes after Southern Water, which supplies customers in Hampshire, not including Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport, said it would issue a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) on hosepipes across parts of the county from Friday.

It is the first time the supplier has issued a hosepipe ban since 2012 following ‘one of the driest summers on record for more than a century’.

Parts of England experienced the driest July since 1935 this year, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures soared, with the UK hitting a scorching 40C for the first time at London Heathrow.

Last week a Southern Water boss urged customers across Hampshire to ‘do their bit’ by supporting the imposed measures and ‘only using the water they need’.

Although Portsmouth Water is currently not imposing a ban, it is ‘urging’ customers to be conscious of their water usage.

A spokesman for water supply company said: ‘We are monitoring the situation daily and keeping this position under review.

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‘However, as you know the weather has been unseasonably hot and dry in 2022 - with no significant rain in featuring in the long-range forecast for our region.

‘So, whilst we are not asking for a hosepipe ban, we are urging our customers to voluntarily be conscious in how they use water over the coming weeks and to not waste any.

‘Portsmouth Water is not considering applying for a hosepipe ban at this point in time.’

Last week, Dr Alison Hoyle, director of risk and compliance at Southern Water, warned their customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to protect the area’s rivers and habitats.

She said: ‘We're asking our customers to help protect our rivers and the habitats by cutting back their water use. We believe a Temporary Use Ban is a vital step to reducing the amount of water being taken from the Rivers Test and Itchen.’

Portsmouth Water encourage customers to stay updated with water efficiency advice on their website.