Southern Water are warning that they may need to implement a hosepipe ban in the Southampton area next month, which could include the Isle of Wight.
Flows in the River Test have continued to fall over the past couple of months leading to a drought alert being using in June. Things have dropped so much in the past week that the utility company has now applied for a drought permit from the Environment Agency as this may be needed to continue using the river as a vital source of fresh water for South Hampshire.
According to the permit application, a ‘serious threat’ to supply exists in Southern Water’s Hampshire Southampton West water supply area with consequent risk to the Isle of Wight supply area, which is dependent on a water transfer from Hampshire Southampton West.
If the drought permit is granted a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) – previously known as hosepipe bans – will be implemented in certain areas. If this action is taken then it will be carried out in a phased way in specific areas.
The ban would mean that Islanders would not be permitted to use hosepipes to water lawns or pressure washers to clean cars and patios. In addition, the ban would prevent watering plants using a hosepipe, filling or maintaining a swimming/paddling pool and filling or maintaining a domestic pond/fountain using a hosepipe.
An exceptional shortage of rainfall is being blamed for the action.
Southern Water say they will continue to keep customers updated on the progress of the permit application but it is possible the TUBs will come into force in mid-August.
In 2017 and 2018 there was a threat of a hosepipe ban on the Isle of Wight, but the ban did not come into force.
The so called experts tell us that global warming is making the sea levels rise, so why are they still not considering desalination plants to source water?
Money
They are!
How much water has been wasted with all the burst water mains this year. Sort this out first before putting restrictions on the public and who closed most of the reservoirs on the Island it certainly wasn’t Joe Public
No one cares
If we can’t use hosepipes then just use buckets instead!
Project fear strikes again, have they no faith in the British weather ?
These tossers lose billions of litres every year because they they can’t be arsed to fix the leaks .but it us who have to cut back .unbelievable.
Don’t care about those poor ban, use buckets. More worried about the price rise next year. ‘well, it’s Brexit mate innit ?’
Bugger the ban
well said how can they charge so much and tell us not to use it sod them
Southern Water are already confirmed cheats obliged by Ofwat to pay compensation to us all as a result of their already discovered misdemeanours, their options, investigations and findings are far from automatically credible.
What about all the water running to waste from under the cliff along the south side of the Island? If this was collected it would serve two purposes, 1. It would supply more water without deplenishing our chalk streams and 2. It would help to stabilse the undercliff.
We need more reservoirs, not overwhelming numbers of new homes.
Why do Spain have water coming out their ears, lots of leaks but never shortages, even in the desert of Almeria. And do they use water down there, zillions.
I’m in Dubai and it’s 43+ degrees C, and there isn’t a hosepipe ban here, how come there is one in uk nearly every year???