FIRST hosepipe ban in almost 30 years now in force for whole of Cornwall
South West Water has imposed the restriction amid the biggest drought since 1935
Last updated 23rd Aug 2022
A hosepipe ban is now in force across Cornwall and parts of Devon for the first time in nearly 30 years.
South West Water says it had "no choice", in response to the UK's biggest drought since 1935.
The company is asking customers to reduce non-essential water usage through the Temporary Use Ban, otherwise known as a hosepipe ban, which was announced on Monday 15th August and came into force at 00:01 on Tuesday 23rd August.
South West Water says it is acting in areas of the region where it is forecasting pressures on reservoirs to protect water resources and the environment, allowing rivers and reservoirs to recharge over the winter months.
The total storage for the region's reservoirs stood at 45.7%, as of the week ending 14th August. In Cornwall, Colliford was 37.3% full while Stithians near Redruth was 34.6% full.
What are the dos and don'ts?
Activities covered by the hosepipe ban include using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars.
Customers can still undertake these 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 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.
Lisa Gahan, the Director Responsible for Water Resources at South West Water, said: "Due to the 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".
How can I save water?
The company has thanked customers right across the South West for playing an important role in proactively reducing usage and only using the water they need, and is asking them to continue saving water.
To help with this, it 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 on its website, such as shower regulators and leaky loo detectors.
More information about what these temporary measures means for households with a simple post code checker, and support for South West Water’s priority services customers, can be found on its dedicated webpage.
South West Water will keep everyone updated on when the Temporary Use Ban will be lifted.