Hosepipe ban: Which parts of Hampshire will have to limit water usage

Words by ITV News Meridian's Harry Acton.

Thousands of homes will be required to limit how much water they use from Friday, after Southern Water implemented a Temporary Use Ban across large swathes of Hampshire.

The supplier, which handles drinking water and wastewater in parts of the region, says the ban is needed to 'urgently reduce' demand on the River Test and River Itchen.

However, depending on where you live, Southern Water may only deal with your wastewater - meaning you might not be affected by the ban at all.

The majority of homes which will come under the ban are on the Isle of Wight and parts of South and Mid Hampshire, whilst some homes in Berkshire will also be required to reduce their water usage.

Which towns are affected by the ban?

Depending on where you live, your wastewater and freshwater suppliers may be different.

For example Southern Water handles the majority of wastewater services in Hampshire, but not all freshwater supplies.

If you live between Southampton, Winchester, Andover or Kingsclere in Berkshire you will more than likely be required to cut your water usage.

This also applies to the Isle of Wight, where Southern Water is the sole freshwater supplier.

However, people living in parts of the New Forest or South Coast near Portsmouth wouldn't have to cut water usage as their supplier is different.

Southern Water customers in Kent and Sussex are also not currently affected by the measures.

What are other suppliers saying?

It is worth checking your bill to see who does supply your drinking water, as this is the easiest way to tell whether you will need to cut your water usage.

There are several other suppliers in the Meridian region, including Bournemouth Water, Wessex Water, South East Water, Thames Water and Portsmouth Water.

Bournemouth Water, which supplies homes across parts of Dorset and Hampshire, currently has no plans to implement a Hosepipe ban.

Portsmouth Water has previously asked homes to use water wisely, but has not implemented a ban on certain usage.

South East Water and Thames Water have both previously appealed to households to be aware of their water usage, but have ruled out any usage bans for now.

Meanwhile Wessex Water, which supplies parts of Wiltshire and the South West, has issued assurances that a hosepipe ban is not imminent.

Can I be fined for using my hosepipe during a ban?

The short answer is yes. However, it is up to the water company to prosecute you for doing so.

Alison Hoyle from Southern Water said: "We do expect that customers may report in if they see excessive hosepipe use, and we will reach out to make sure the messages are getting through.

"We would deal with incidents on a case by case basis which would be taken on their merits, but the possibility of prosecution is open to us."