Wessex Water has announced a hosepipe ban affecting all 1.4 million customers, marking the first such ban in 50 years. The temporary use ban will come into effect from midnight on Tuesday for customers in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.
First ban since 1976
The company last imposed a ban during the hot summer of 1976. The decision follows weeks of hot and dry weather that have plunged large parts of the country into drought.
Wessex Water said its water supply network is facing increasing pressure amid record levels of demand combined with ongoing hot conditions and no significant rain forecast for the area.
—
Impact on England
With Wessex Water's ban, more than 27 million people across England currently have their hosepipe use restricted.
