South West Water hosepipe ban announced for Cornwall and parts of North Devon

A hosepipe ban will come into force in Cornwall and parts of North Devon next week, according to South West Water who has this morning announced the measures to curb water usage.

It comes after the biggest drought since 1935 was officially declared in 8 areas across England on Friday (12 August).

Bosses say the temporary ban is the next step in the company’s drought plan and will come into effect from Tuesday 23rd August at 00.01am.

Activities covered by the hosepipe ban include using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars.

The water company says customers can still undertake these activities without using a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can; or use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt, or a private borehole, for example.

This temporary measure will not apply to blue badge holders or those on South West Water’s priority register. Businesses and farmers are unaffected.

Lisa Gahan, the director responsible for Water Resources at South West Water, said: “Due to the extremely hot and prolonged dry weather, we believe the right thing to do is to introduce a Temporary Use Ban, acting now in areas of the region where we are forecasting pressures on reservoirs, to protect water resources and to safeguard the environment, allowing rivers and reservoirs to recharge over the winter months.

"We want to thank customers right across the South West for playing an important role in proactively reducing usage and only using the water they need, and we ask them to continue saving water."