South West Water is asking customers to reduce non-essential water usage across Cornwall and parts of North Devon through a Temporary Use Ban, otherwise known as a hosepipe ban, after the biggest drought since 1935 was officially declared in 8 areas across England last Friday.
The temporary use ban is the next step in the company’s published drought plan and will come into effect from Tuesday 23rd August at 00.01. Activities covered by the hosepipe ban include using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars.
Customers can still undertake the above activities without using a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can; or use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt, or a private borehole, for example.
This temporary measure will not apply to blue badge holders or those on South West Water’s priority register. Businesses and farmers are unaffected.
South West Water is very grateful for the efforts of all customers across the region in helping to save water and protect the environment. The company, which has one of the lowest leakage levels in the sector, has turbo charged its efforts to detect and tackle leaks. It is deploying the latest AI and satellite technology alongside teams working 24/7 right across the region, and is helping customers reduce their leakage by offering a free find and fix repair service.
Lisa Gahan, the Director Responsible for Water Resources at South West Water, said:
“Due to the extremely hot and prolonged dry weather, we believe the right thing to do is to introduce a Temporary Use Ban, acting now in areas of the region where we are forecasting pressures on reservoirs, to protect water resources and to safeguard the environment, allowing rivers and reservoirs to recharge over the winter months.
We want to thank customers right across the South West for playing an important role in proactively reducing usage and only using the water they need, and we ask them to continue saving water.
Each and every day, teams across South West Water work tirelessly to deliver over 870 million litres of clean, safe and reliable drinking water to a population of circa 3.5m, rising to 10m as visitors flock to the region in the summer months, and that remains a priority.”
The South West, like the majority of the country, continues to experience an unprecedented and prolonged period of hot and dry weather, alongside extremely high levels of demand for water.
This year has been one of the driest on records. The eight-month period from November 2021 to June 2022 has been the driest in England since 19761 and the Met Office has revealed that July 2022 was the driest July for England since 1935, with just 35% of its average rainfall2.
South West Water provides water services across the Greater South West, Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly and has one of the lowest levels of leakage in the sector, taking a proactive approach to manage precious water resources.
The South West’s population has increased markedly over the last 18 months, reaching anticipated 2050 levels, as more people moved to the region in response to the pandemic.
With reservoir levels starting at circa 97% at the start of the year, the company has invested in three new reservoirs since 2007 as well as doubling the number of leak detection colleagues in the last two years, helping to find and fix around 2,000 leaks a month, keeping leakage levels as low as possible.
Around 30% of leaks in the region occur on private supplies, and South West Water is working closely with customers to detect and help repair leaks on their property, free of charge at this time.
South West Water is sharing water saving tips and advice with customers to avoiding non-essential water usage, such as taking showers instead of baths or not running the tap when brushing teeth. Customers can also access free water saving devices such as shower regulators, leaky loo detectors and water butts.
South West Water will keep everyone updated on when the TUB will be lifted.
For further information please contact:
More information about what these temporary measures means for households, and support for our priority services customers, can be found at southwestwater.co.uk/tub