Southern Water confirms second hosepipe ban in Hampshire

Southern Water has announced the restrictions will begin on July 10, affecting nearly one million customers.

The decision follows the warmest spring on record and last week's record-breaking heatwave, leading to critically low water levels in the River Test.

Tania Flasck, director of water operations at Southern Water, said: "In June, we've actually seen a third of the flow and so the models have just not necessarily predicted that.

"When we've actually measured the levels we've seen it's dropped down a lot, a lot further and faster than we've anticipated."

The River Test supplies much of the drinking water to homes and businesses in the affected areas, and the company said its restrictions would likely run until the autumn unless there was significant and sustained rainfall.

Hosepipe (Danny Lawson/PA) (Image: PA)

It is the first time Southern Water has imposed back-to-back annual hosepipe bans, following last year’s restrictions from mid-July to the end of October.

Customers are being urged to switch to watering cans or buckets instead of hosepipes for watering gardens, filling paddling pools, or washing cars.

The company is investing in new infrastructure, including the UK’s first new reservoir for 30 years, which it says would help stop it taking water from the Test and Itchen rivers by 2040.

Paul Vignaux, executive director of the Test and Itchen Association, said: "...we have no reservoirs here and all the water comes from the river or from the aquifer.

"And effectively, if you take water from our rivers and aquifers, you're taking water from nature."

Mr Vignaux said: "When the flow gets slow the temperature rises and pollution gets concentrated.

"Fish are finding it difficult to navigate up and down the rivers and so they are hiding in ever shrinking bits of river where they can keep their temperature down."

Southern Water said it has achieved a record year of leakage reduction, equating to 27 million litres per day, and has found and fixed 2,840 leaks since January.

However, the company said more was needed to help protect internationally important chalk streams.

The company said a hosepipe uses 1,000 litres of water an hour, which equates to "one person's weekly water use in just 60 minutes".

Some residents are exempt from the ban, including those on the Priority Services Register and WaterSure customers with mobility or health needs.

The announcement follows similar restrictions introduced by South East Water in Kent, which started from Friday.