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Hosepipe ban in West Country after drought declared

South West Water has announced a hosepipe ban will be imposed in Cornwall and parts of Devon after drought was declared in the region by the National Drought Group on Friday (12 August).

The company previously said restrictions may be required as demand soared in the hot weather, peaking at 70 million additional litres on a single day. In the summer months, the number of water users jumps from 3.5 million customers to 10 million as visitors flock to the south west.

From 23 August, restrictions will come into place in the region for the first time in 26 years to protect water resources. However, South West Water stressed there is “no risk to drinking water supplies”.

According to the Environment Agency, rainfall across the south west of England since the end of July has averaged less than one millimetre, with rivers flows in the first week of August ranging from below normal to exceptionally low.

On Friday (12 August) the EA and National Drought Group declared drought across much of England including the south west after a prolonged dry period.

South West is the sixth company to announce the imposition of a temporary use ban this summer. Southern Water was the first to announce a hosepipe ban, which had not been used previously since 2012.

The restrictions by South West follow increased water efficiency messaging asking people to be careful with resources to keep more in the environment.

In the past two years, the company has doubled its leak detection staff to find and repair around 2,000 per month as well as offering free fixes for customer-side leaks.