No hosepipe bans this year, director of water firm says
SOUTH West Water is confident there will be no need for hosepipe bans in Devon this year even if we see prolonged periods of hot and dry weather.
In 2022, a hosepipe ban was put in place in Cornwall and parts of North Devon after the biggest drought in the region for more than 130 years. That was extended to other parts of Devon in 2023.
Since then, a combination of heavy rainfall, customers doing more to save water and investment from South West Water has seen reservoir levels rise across the region.
Earlier this month, South West Water announced its two biggest reservoirs – Roadford in Devon and Colliford in Cornwall – have both recharged to more than 90% of their capacity.
To help maintain water resil- ience for now and the future, South West Water said it was investing more than £125 million to increase resources in Devon by 30% and in Cornwall by 45%.
All of the plans for Devon have now been completed and are in use, with 70% completed in Cornwall.
Roadford reservoir is now full compared with 68% of capacity this time last year, while Colliford reservoir is at 98.5% compared to 60% last year.
David Harris, South West Water’s drought and resilience director, said: “While it may seem obvious that recent heavy rainfall has led to increased reservoir levels across the region, more than one-third of the additional storage has come from our own supply interventions and customers reducing their own usage.
“As a direct result of our investments, interventions, the weather and our customers reducing their use of water, we are confident that we are in a strong position to navigate whatever weather we face this year without the need for water restrictions.
“This does not mean we will stop our efforts there; we will continue to invest and deliver clean water supplies across our region and prepare as much as we can for climate change and unpredictable weather patterns.”
South West Water’s Water Resources Management Plan is looking 25 years ahead to make sure there is a sufficient supply of water for everyone, while guaranteeing the environment and the wildlife that live here are not just protected but can thrive.
In addition to finding and fixing more leaks, South West Water continues to support customers to reduce their water use through its Water is Precious campaign.
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As a direct result of our investments, interventions, the weather and our customers reducing their use of water, we are confident that we are in a strong position to navigate whatever weather we face this year without the need for water restrictions
David Harris, South West Water