Southern Water has announced a hosepipe ban affecting approximately 1 million residents in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, effective from 9am on Monday. This makes it the fourth English water company to impose such restrictions, bringing the total number of people affected across England to around 8.5 million.
The ban comes after Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, and South East Water introduced similar measures. Southern Water's affected areas are primarily supplied by rare chalk streams, including the River Test and River Itchen, which the company reports are at "critically low levels" — 24% lower than normal flows for this time of year.
One in seven people in England are now prohibited from using hosepipes to fill paddling pools, water gardens, or wash cars, following some of the driest spring conditions on record. Those who violate the ban could face fines of up to £1,000.
On Tuesday, the government declared drought status in four areas of England and urged more water companies to issue bans. The National Drought Group met to discuss the prolonged dry weather, which has caused mass fish die-offs, low river flows, algal blooms, and early crop failures. If dry conditions persist, more stringent measures may be implemented, including bans on filling public swimming pools and cleaning offices.
England's reservoirs are at their lowest levels in a decade, with demand increasing due to hot weather and little rainfall. The government and water companies have proposed building nine new reservoirs by 2050, but no major reservoirs have been completed in England since 1992.
Southern Water's managing director, Tim McMahon, stated: "We have to respond to the widespread and prolonged dry weather affecting our region. This means a hosepipe ban to protect the health of our amazing chalk streams, which as one of the rarest habitats on Earth has been compared to the Amazon rainforest. We must act now to support the wildlife that live there, including Atlantic salmon and southern damselfly."
