South West extends hosepipe ban

An extension to South West Water’s ongoing hosepipe ban comes into force this week as reservoirs in the region remain alarmingly low.

A temporary usage ban has been in place for Cornwall and a small section of North Devon since last August.

From Tuesday (25 April) this is being extended further in Devon, covering the Roadford supply area. Reservoir levels here are at 66% of capacity – compared to 96% this time last year. This is despite exceptionally high rainfall in March, which failed to make up for an unseasonably dry February.

Across the south west, reservoir storage stood at 76% at the end of March, although all three facilities across the region saw levels rise during the month – with Wimbleball in Somerset at 100%. The region remains officially in drought after reservoir levels reached their lowest recorded levels last year.

David Harris, South West’s drought and resilience director, said: “We know that last year and into this year our customers have made a real effort to be responsible in their water use and we thank them for that. It has made a difference and we ask them to continue saving water whenever they can.

“We continue to explore all options and take all necessary steps to ensure we protect supplies and the environment, bringing new supplies safely online, finding and fixing three times more leaks than last year and helping customers and businesses reduce their water usage.

“However, despite our interventions and investments, and the fantastic efforts of our customers, the region’s water resources are under immense and increasing pressure. Introducing a hosepipe ban is the responsible thing for us to do and going into the summer period is the right time to do it.”

The Pennon-owned water company has been exploring ways to bolster water supplies over the winter, including transforming a disused clay pit into a reservoir in Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor and seeking out sites for desalination plants. The company’s Water Resources Management Plan moots two possible locations for desalination operations – close to the seaside village of Polkerris and the nearby port of Par.

It has also focussed on a demand-side response, offering a £30 bill credit to customers if the Collingford reservoir reached 30% capacity by the end of last year and meeting the target.

The hosepipe ban in the south west is the only one remaining across England and Wales after the wettest March since 1981. Total reservoir stocks across England were at 93% at the end of March – up 7% from the end of February. Across Wales, levels were at 99% or above at all four of the country’s reservoirs.