South West Water hosepipe ban starts Saturday across Cornwall

If you were planning to jet-wash the patio or top up the paddling pool this weekend, hold off. From one minute past midnight on Saturday 8 August, using a hosepipe becomes a breach of temporary restrictions for every South West Water customer, and the company is asking people to stop right now rather than wait for the clock.

The ban covers Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Dorset and Somerset. It lands after months of well below average rainfall, a run of hot spells and demand that has stayed stubbornly high, with the Environment Agency now declaring half of England, including the South West, in drought.

What you cannot do

Once the restrictions are in force, hosepipes are off limits for a familiar summer list: watering the garden, washing the car, cleaning patios and boats, and filling swimming or paddling pools. These are the uses that quietly burn through the most water on a warm day, which is why they are first to go.

Water for everything essential carries on as normal. You can still drink it, cook with it, wash in it and flush the toilet with it. The restriction is aimed squarely at outdoor, non-essential use rather than anything to do with running a household.

Why now

The decision follows one of the driest stretches in recent memory. The Met Office says England and Wales have provisionally recorded their driest July on record, and Southern England its driest month ever in a series that reaches back to 1836. Add exceptionally hot weather and sustained demand on top, and the region’s rivers and reservoirs have been left under real strain.

South West Water says it has been working around the clock to keep supplies reliable, pushing its treatment works to produce as much as possible, moving water around the network to where it is needed, stepping up leak detection and repairs, and putting extra crews out to protect supplies.

Sam Bottomley of South West Water said: “After an extended period of exceptionally low rainfall, combined with sustained high demand during the warmer weather, our region’s rivers and water resources are under significant pressure. This decision has considered the Environment Agency’s drought status as well as the increase in demand in our region.

“Our teams have been working tirelessly to protect supplies for customers. We’ve maximised water production wherever possible, increased leak detection and repairs, moved water around our network and introduced a wide range of operational measures to make the best use of the water available.

“Introducing a hosepipe ban is never a decision we take lightly, and we fully appreciate the inconvenience it will cause. However, these temporary restrictions are an important step in helping to protect our rivers and essential water supplies for homes, businesses and critical services across the region.

“Every litre saved now will help protect our rivers and water resources while drought conditions continue. By making small changes to how we use water, our customers can make a real difference.”

What you can do to help

South West Water is asking customers, businesses and visitors to use water carefully while the drought lasts. That means shorter showers, turning the tap off while you brush your teeth, and only running the washing machine or dishwasher with a full load. Small habits, repeated across a whole region in the middle of a dry summer, add up quickly.

The company says it will keep monitoring conditions and updating customers as things change. Full details of the restrictions, the exceptions and advice on saving water are on the South West Water hosepipe ban page.