Southern Water has announced that a hosepipe ban will come into force across the Isle of Wight on Monday following the driest Spring in over 100 years.
Although the ban will not be legally enforceable until 09:00 on Monday 21st July, households are being asked to ditch their hosepipes from today (Wednesday) – to protect the environment and keep taps running through the hot Summer.
The Temporary Use Ban, which will be in place for an undetermined period, comes after the warmest June on record, which has put rivers under serious strain. The last time a ban was in place, back in 2022, it last for 3 months.
In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the Test and Itchen chalk streams supply most of our water, but are at critically low levels, down 24% on normal flows for this time of year.
Tim McMahon, Managing Director for Southern Water, has said:
“We’re sorry we’re taking this step, but as other water companies have already done, we have to respond to the widespread and prolonged dry weather affecting our region.
“With the Environment Agency today declaring the Solent and South Downs in ‘prolonged dry weather’, we must protect these precious river ecosystems and make sure there is enough water to go round, by taking action now.
“That’s why we’re asking for the help of our communities to no longer use hosepipes for activities like watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars. By doing this, alongside our ongoing round-the-clock work to reduce leaks and optimise our water supply works, reservoirs and underground pipelines, we can work together to make a big difference”.
Article continues below this advertisement “Our teams are working 24/7 to find and fix leaks faster than ever, using a wide range of innovative solutions like drones, sensors and even sniffer dogs, and are ensuring that our pipes, reservoirs and water supply works are working as efficiently as possible – but sadly this is not enough.
“We really need your help too so we can reduce use, and setting aside hosepipes can make a huge difference. Only by working together can we make sure there’s enough water to go around for customers and the environment. Thank you for your support.”
Isle of Wight households will be prevented from doing the following:
- Watering the garden or plants using a hosepipe
- Cleaning a private motor vehicle or leisure boat using a hosepipe
- Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
- Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
- Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
- Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
- Cleaning walls, windows, paths, patios or artificial outdoor surfaces at domestic premises using a hosepipe
Anyone caught using a hosepipe during this period is liable for prosecution through the criminal courts under Section 36 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
Makes you wonder if it’s real or just jumping on board the save the world idea. In the past the water companies have used hosepipe bans to raise prices in the excuse of fake droughts…
And of course, southern waters systems leak 91 million litres of water per day.
for the record -91 million litres is enough to serve 175000 customers a day.
Pity the fatcats running Southern Water since it was privatised didn’t employ some of the strategic thinking we pay so much for and plan for the future. A new reservoir would have been a good idea.
Very nicely put, M
If Southern water fixed all the leaks we need to ever have hosepipe bans
What a stupid load of crap..so do we get lower bills? ..NO of course not but you can fill a bucket and clean car and use a watering can how bloody nuts is that just not a rubber hose with a hose gun so it only works when you use it….millions more people no new storage reservoirs in last 50/60 years..and it’s free it falls from the sky..you couldn’t make it up.But send £ BILLIONS to other countries to fund wars millions upon millions for our friends from France..oh and our bills are going up 58% over next 5 years..so that’s nice ..will they build any new reservoirs no they won’t takes a decade just to talk about it..
Absolutely agree 100%
god, you love whinging dont you!
if you’ve ever voted CONservative, then you’re to blame…
if you vote Deform, then you’re no better…
The CONservatives caused the issue by privatising the water companies (and so much else, to the detriment of the public),.. so all the profits go to the shareholders, rather then being invested in maintenance & improving infrastructure..
Deform’s policies on funding the rich,at the expense of everyone else are even worse than the CONservatives. (they intend to privatise the NHS as well!!)
“.so do we get lower bills?”
well actually, yes,…
if you would otherwise use a hose to wash your car, or water your garden, and by using a bucket,or watering can, you use less,. then, of course, your bill will be lower..
Do you realise that our bills went up by 47% a couple of months ago?
Scandalous, the Government should
stop such companies taking the p*ss.
What with electric and gas bill’s
and council tax keep going up, it
won’t be too long before everyone is
skint.
That seems to be the plan.
For what… 100% remember. We pay for free water that falls from the sky to line their executives pockets and shareholders
True, I always think the same when Fishermen
catch crabs and lobsters and then charge a fortune
for their free catch of the day.
Lol
What a load of b@ll@cks, people won’t comply,
over half the Island don’t stick to the speed limit
so they won’t comply to this nonsense!
Look at all the Numpty’s parking on the pavement
opposite Sandown Pier outside the old tourist information
centre – noone does anything about it, yet these Numpty’s
are evading parking charges
I have always wondered who runs the Isle of Wight
Billy or Silly.
“WITH A MAYOR THIS SH*T WOULD NEVER HAPPEN”
Please do not take this the wrong way, but I think you need to see your doctor, you have a severe case of continued repeat and repeat, and forgetting you said that over and over, which is making you forget the subject you are commenting on.
Maybe it’s because no Numpty on this
Clown run island does fcuk all about anything
hence repeat and repeat.
Maybe it’s because no Numpty on this
Clown run island does fcuk all about anything
hence repeat and repeat
By the way, see a Dr, since the pandemic you have
more chance winning the lottery, also it takes the majority
of Doctors Surgeries at least 40 minutes to answer
the phone.
Lol
The problem appears worse than I suggested, This needs Specialist intervention.
If people did things right in the first place
intervention is not needed.
Lol
All you ever seem to do is complain about other people on the island and refer to people as numptys. If you hate it that much then just leave. Or are you too much of a numpty to do that
He keeps repeating it because nothing is being done and one needs a soapbox platform to get the message out, and this is it. The major thing is, do you agree with him? Most of us I imagine do
Nothing ever will be done on this badly run
Isle.
He’s a northern know-it-all with a sad life and no understanding of punctuation.
Ey up lad, nothing wrong with that punctuation.
Lol
Have you not seen the extortionate ferry prices.
Have you not seen the ferry prices
Lol
Just to add who in 2025 puts a bloody thumb over the hose??? it’s not 1970s £3/4 at or less than a tenner from the range bq screwfix….the narrative they use also they can get ucked, for decades they have taken the iss out of us all and typical of the uk never invested for the future it’s pathetic and will carry on for decades to come..
“typical of the uk never invested for the future it’s pathetic”,.. Yes,.. all the fault of the CONservatives for privatising the water companies etc…
“and will carry on for decades to come..” yes,. unfortunately, and probably get much worse if Farage & Deform get into power..
There no if ! con and lie are both finished liebour won’t be in power for decades after this ..
Oh my God. I laughed so much , best laugh all week. For those of us who remember the summer of 76′ that was time for a hosepipe ban , that ran into week after week. Without a break , that was summer.
We get a few weeks of hot weather now and we get this . Last year it rained and rained. Now we’ve had rain in between these hot spells and they think it classifies for a ban .
Maybe it’s more to do with the constant water leaks .
We have our own reserves and reservoirs, what a load of old rubbish .
Oh well buckets and watering cans at the ready .
“Now we’ve had rain in between these hot spells…”
it seems your memory, or your ability to reason & understand, is severly limited,..
yes,. we’ve had ‘a little’ rain a few times, in between the dry / hot spells.. but its only been a fraction of what we get on average & no-where near enough to make up for what we haven’t had,..
I agree that they should do far more to fix leaks & build more reservoirs etc..
but they won’t & you can blame anyone who voted CONservative for that…
Bloody liebour giveing 3 billion to ukraine a year..counld build all the reserviors we need for that..
We need a Government who represents the
people of it’s own Country, not one who gives
us F’all and gives to others.
Dear all those who are manning about utilities taking everyone for a ride….how many of you Tory (or ex) worshipers are moaning? How many of you voted for Thatcher et al when she promised it will be better and cheaper? LOL.
Whats labour done for us in the last 40 years???..nothing always bankrupt us working class my arse.
Well is seems souther water do like to contradict themseleves…
from above “Isle of Wight households will be prevented from doing the following:
From SWs web site
“A hosepipe ban stops customers using a hosepipe for non-essential activities, including: > watering gardens”
but further down on their web site it says
“You can still use a hosepipe to water an allotment or vegetable patch”
it also says “You can use your hosepipe to clean animals and their areas,”
so, just stick your dog on the lawn, or flower bed, or car, & hose him down….
“We’re asking for the help of our communities to no longer use hosepipes for activities”
“Anyone caught using a hosepipe during this period is liable for prosecution through the criminal courts under Section 36 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010”
So, which one is it??
Are you ASKING us not to, or TELLING us not to?
Would you like to go back to school and learn how the English language works? Maybe while you are there you can learn that investment is needed to fix all those leaks!
Maybe it’s just time to join the rest of the criminals on the island who don’t obey speed limits, don’t pay for things from shops and just do whatever they want all the time with little to no fear of repercussions!
Additionally, has anyone seen the forecast for this weekend? The yellow alerts that were put out this morning for thunderstorms?
Ye i know ..im not taking any notice of it ..they can get stuffed.