Customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight no longer have to restrict water use outside their homes, as Southern Water lifts its hosepipe ban this morning (Friday).
The measure, officially known as a ‘temporary use ban’, had been in place since the first week of August, in order to protect the precious habitats of the River Test and River Itchen, after water levels dropped amid one of the hottest and driest summers on record.
11 million litres of water saved
Community support for these measures over the past three months helped us save around 11 million litres of water.
This reduction in demand, combined with recent cooler and wetter weather, has seen river levels improve enough so that restrictions can be removed.
But our region is still suffering from the effects of this year’s drought, with river and reservoir levels remaining lower than expected for this time of year across the region.
Taylor: Your help has allowed us to protect our environment
Katy Taylor, Southern Water’s Chief Customer Officer, said,
“Thank you to everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who has supported this hosepipe ban over the past three months. We know it has been inconvenient, but your help has allowed us to protect our environment during almost unprecedented drought conditions.
“While we are now in a position to lift the ban – news which I am sure will be widely welcomed – we continue to experience the effects of drought across our region, with river and reservoir levels not back to where they really should be at this time of year.
“This is why we continue to encourage everyone to play their part in using water wisely through the coming months. In the face of climate change and population growth, a dry winter could put us at risk of drought and restrictions again next year, so we must do what we can to protect and preserve this precious resource.”
How to save water
There are lots of tips and tools to support water saving on the Southern Water website.
Meanwhile, Southern Water continues to work hard to improve its own water saving performance, including:
- Investing £140 million in reducing leakage. Our teams work 24/7 to find and fix leaks, we’ve reduced leakage in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by repairing over 5,000 already this year.
- Developing our ‘Water for Life – Hampshire’ programme to revolutionise the way we source, treat and supply water across the county to ensure a reliable water supply into the future that will withstands times of severe drought.
- Investing £22 million in a new water supply works at Otterbourne – already under construction to strengthen our resilience
- Working with schools and agriculture to install sustainable drainage systems to harvest rainwater.
News shared by Southern Water, in their own words. Ed
Image: harry grout under CC BY 2.0
