Southern Water offers businesses discounts if they save more water

• Report by ITV Meridian's Richard Slee

Businesses in the south could save hundreds of pounds over the next few months if they save more water compared to the same period in 2019.

The deal called 'You Save, We'll Pay' is on offer from Southern Water.

To qualify for a discount of 10, 20 or 25% off their bill, a business must reduce its water consumption by the same percentage in September, October and November this year.

The scheme is aimed at businesses that use a lot of water such as Golf Courses.

But one business owner in Hampshire says he's already saving as much water as possible and is more concerned about the amount of water being taken from the River Test.

"It will be quite tough for us, because we've grown a lot since 2019," Simon Henderson   the owner of the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge said.

"So to reduce our consumption by between 10 and 25% will be tricky.

"But for a business which is more steady state, I think it will be a great scheme for them to try and reduce their consumption.

Southern Water says the scheme is the latest move to reduce water usage.

The company says it's now fixing about 500 leaks a week, which is about double what they were doing prior to the summer.

But it is still extracting millions of litres of water from the River Test and the River Itchen.