One of our region’s driest years for a century and highest ever temperatures have caused a drought that threatens to damage the precious habitats of the River Test and River Itchen.
As a result, Southern Water is introducing a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) for its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to protect these rivers.
The extremely hot weather and reduced rainfall alongside increased demand has left the water levels significantly lower.
There’s no direct risk to customer water supply however, to ensure that everyone works together to protect our rivers, a TUB, or hosepipe ban as they are commonly known, will be implemented from Friday 5 August 2022 for customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
This will be the first time a TUB has been seen in our region since 2012.
Dr Alison Hoyle, Director of Risk & Compliance at Southern Water, said: “We haven’t taken this decision lightly and we know the Temporary Use Ban will have an impact on our customers. We’re working with the Environment Agency to ensure that we act responsibly to protect our environment. We’re asking everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to do their bit by supporting these measures and only use the water that they need.
“We’re experiencing one of the driest years on record for over a century and we’ve seen record temperatures. River flows are approximately 25% lower than they should be for July, which is equivalent to losing more than 25 million bathtubs of water. We're asking our customers to help protect our rivers and the habitats that live there by cutting back their water use. We believe a Temporary Use Ban is a responsible and vital step to reducing the amount of water being taken from the Rivers Test and Itchen.”
Under the terms of this measure, using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars will no longer be permitted and ornamental ponds and swimming pools must not be filled.
Full details about what a hosepipe ban means for customers can be found on the Southern Water website.