Devon and Cornwall hosepipe ban set to be lifted

Bans on hosepipe use were put in place in Devon and Cornwall in August 2022

A hosepipe ban across Cornwall and Devon will be lifted on 25 September, South West Water (SWW) has revealed.

The utility said "all restrictions", many of which came into force in August 2022, were being lifted after recent rain and reviews of reservoir levels.

It said Roadford Reservoir was at 53% storage, up 10% from this time last year, and Colliford Reservoir was at 52% storage, up 28% from last year.

It added it would still "closely monitor water resources".

The water company had previously said the ban was only going to to be lifted in Cornwall, but it is now removing restrictions in both counties.

"Climate change has shown how unpredictable weather patterns can be and we must continue to protect the region's rivers and beautiful natural resources," SWW said.

"We will closely monitor water resources, the weather and demand, right across our region, and will continue working closely with the Environment Agency to ensure any decisions are made responsibly.

"We want to thank all of our customers, visitors and businesses in conserving water."

'Additional resources'

Colliford provides water across Cornwall and a small part of north Devon.

Roadford covers the rest of north Devon, with its supplies also servicing Plymouth and parts of south-west Devon.

SWW drought resilience manager David Harris said it was hoped further work could stop future bans.

"We've got plans going forward for a number of additional water resources in the Roadford zone," he said.

"And, between 2025 and 2030, we've got some regional water options which are progressing through construction and so on."

SWW also provides sewerage services to Devon and Cornwall, plus small parts of Dorset and Somerset.