Water firm lifts hosepipe ban after three months

The ban affected people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from 21 July

A water company has lifted a hosepipe ban that came into force three months ago.

Southern Water's restriction covered most of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from 21 July.

The firm also made plans to apply for a drought order to take extra supplies from the River Test, but abandoned the process after sufficient rain in September.

The firm thanked customers for helping to save millions of litres of water every day, protecting the Test and other chalk streams.

Director of water Tim McMahon said: "We're incredibly grateful to our customers for their support and understanding during this challenging time.

"This is a great example of how working together can make a real difference to our environment."

The ban, for nearly a million customers, prevented the use of hosepipes in most circumstances.

Parts of Hampshire, including the area covered by Portsmouth Water, were not affected.

In principle, people breaching the ban could be fined up to £1,000, although Southern Water previously declined to comment on whether that had ever happened.

The firm said wetter weather in September and October had alleviated the emergency, together with a programme of leak repairs.

It said future developments would make supplies more resilient, including a planned new reservoir at Havant Thicket, water recycling schemes and importing water from other regions.

Neighbouring Thames Water said on Monday it would continue with a hosepipe ban in parts of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.