As previously reported, the Isle of Wight has not been included in the South of the UK hosepipe ban.
However Southern Water have advised that water levels are low, so urge customers not to waste water over the coming weeks. In their own words. Ed
Southern Water is urging both residents and tourists on the Isle of Wight to use water wisely and not waste it.
Water use is expected to increase by a third over the spring and will continue to rise during the summer holidays when visitors flock to the Island.
However, the South East is experiencing the second driest period on record and water resources, such as reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers, are well below where they should be at this time of year.
“Resources are below where they should be”
Water Quality and Strategy Manager Meyrick Gough said: “Although the situation on the Isle of Wight is not as severe as other parts of the region, resources are below where they should be.
“There is no hosepipe ban currently in place on the Island and we hope to avoid bringing in any restrictions. But, if the demand for water rises as the weather gets hotter we may have to take such measures.
“We are urging all our customers to avoid wasting water around the home and particularly in the garden. Normally garden watering uses about six per cent of the water supplied, but on hot days this can soar to around 70 per cent.
“Garden sprinklers, in particular, can use up to 1,000 litres of water an hour, enough to supply six people for a whole day.”
25% of water comes from mainland
The Island’s natural water supply comes mainly from underground sources.
Two cross-Solent water mains supplement this, transferring up to 15 million litres of water each day from the mainland to the Isle of Wight.
Image: Todd Morris under CC BY 2.0
