Southern Water announce hosepipe ban throughout large parts of Hampshire

A hosepipe ban is coming into effect across large parts of Hampshire due to 2022 being “one of driest years on record”.

Southern Water is introducing a temporary use ban (TUB) on Friday, August 5, to urgently reduce the demand on the River Test and River Itchen where the company sources most of its fresh water supply.

This is the first hosepipe ban in the region in a decade.

Director of risk and compliance at Southern Water Dr Alison Hoyle said: “We haven’t taken this decision lightly and we know the temporary use ban will have an impact on our customers.

“We’re working with the Environment Agency to ensure that we act responsibly to protect our environment.

“We’re asking everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to do their bit by supporting these measures and only use the water that they need.”

The TUB forbids the following activities – watering a garden using a hosepipe, cleaning a private motor-vehicle using a hosepipe, watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe, cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe, filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool and drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use.

It also forbids filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe, filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain, cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe, cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe and cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe.

Dr Hoyle said: “We’re experiencing one of the driest years on record for over a century and we’ve seen record temperatures.

“River flows are approximately 25 per cent lower than they should be for July, which is equivalent to losing more than 25 million bathtubs of water.

“We're asking our customers to help protect our rivers and the habitats that live there by cutting back their water use.

“We believe a Temporary Use Ban is a responsible and vital step to reducing the amount of water being taken from the Rivers Test and Itchen.”

Although the TUB begins on Friday, Southern Water has not announced an estimated end date for the ban.