South West Water (SWW) has announced a hosepipe ban for parts of Devon, affecting thousands of homes, as the UK continues to experience scorching temperatures this summer. The ban will come into force from 12pm on Tuesday, July 14, and applies to several areas in Mid Devon and East Devon.
Affected Areas and Restrictions
Residents in Tiverton, Cullompton, Bampton, Honiton, South Molton, Dunkeswell, Axminster, and Lyme Regis are urged to immediately stop using hosepipes for watering gardens, filling pools, and cleaning cars, patios, or boats. The ban is intended to conserve water amid exceptionally high demand.
Reason for the Ban
SWW stated that extreme hot weather over the past few weeks has led to a surge in demand on its drinking water network, with approximately 5.4 million litres of extra water being used daily in the affected areas. This is despite treatment facilities operating at maximum capacity around the clock for three weeks.
David Harris, SWW's Managing Director for Water Services, said: "The extreme hot weather over the last few weeks has resulted in exceptionally high demand on our drinking water network in Mid Devon and parts of East Devon. Through the ongoing 24/7 efforts of our local team, our local water treatment works is continuing to produce water at its maximum capacity and we've been doing everything we can to protect water supplies in the area for our customers."
Mitigation Efforts
To alleviate the pressure, SWW has deployed additional tankers to transport water into the region. The company has also doubled its leak detection workforce and repair crews, who are preventing the loss of 3.5 million litres of water per day. Furthermore, water is being redirected from neighbouring areas that have been less severely impacted by the heatwave.
Harris added: "The decision to restrict hosepipe use is never taken lightly as we know how important it is for our customers to enjoy water wisely during hot weather. We will continue to monitor our demand levels daily and as soon as we see demand return to normal for this time of year, allowing our treatment water supply network to recover, we will lift the restrictions."
Impact on Residents
The ban affects thousands of households in the listed areas, who must comply with the restrictions or face potential penalties. SWW advises residents to use water sparingly and follow updates on the ban's duration, which will remain in effect until demand returns to seasonal norms.
