Southern Water boss urges customers to 'act responsibly' after announcement of hose pipe ban in parts of Hampshire

The ban, imposed by Southern Water, comes following reduced rain fall over the last six months and extremely hot weather.

The area has seen just 65 per cent of the long-term average amount of rain expected for the period.

Southern Water is to issue a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) across parts of the county it supplies to including The Isle of Wight, however this does not include Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport, and large parts of Fareham.

The supplier warns drought caused by reduced rainfall threatens to damage precious habitats of the River Test and River Itchen.

The ban, which will come into affect from 5pm on August 5, will help protect these rivers.

This will be the first time a hose pipe ban has been issued in the region since 2012. 

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Dr Alison Hoyle, director of Risk and Compliance at Southern Water, said: ‘We haven’t taken this decision lightly and we know the Temporary Use Ban will have an impact on our customers. We’re working with the Environment Agency to ensure that we act responsibly to protect our environment.

‘We’re asking everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to do their bit by supporting these measures and only use the water that they need. 

‘We’re experiencing one of the driest years on record for over a century and we’ve seen record temperatures.

‘River flows are approximately 25 per cent lower than they should be for July, which is equivalent to losing more than 25 million bathtubs of water.

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

Under the measure’s terms the use of hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars will be banned.

The supplier will not permit the filling of ornamental ponds and swimming pools.

To find out more visit southernwater.co.uk/drought-restrictions