Hosepipe ban extended to 390,000 homes – find out if you are included

South West Water hopes the ban could be lifted ‘on 1 December or sooner’ depending on rainfall levels

A hosepipe ban has been extended to include more of Cornwall and parts of Devon amidst below-average rainfall levels.

South West Water announced that it was taking action to “break the cycle of drought” ahead of the summer season, extending the existing ban to 390,000 homes.

The move could be in place until December depending on rainfall levels, with newly covered areas forbidden from using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars.

The initial ban - covering Cornwall and a small area of north Devon – was introduced in August 2022. Tuesday’s extension of the policy includes Plymouth, Barnstaple, Tavistock and Torquay.

“Our water resources across the region remain under pressure and as we go into the summer period we have taken the necessary action to safeguard supplies and break the cycle of drought following lower than average levels of rainfall last year and throughout February”, a news bulletin on South West Water’s website read.

“The temporary use ban now applies to customers in the Roadford supply area and came into on 25 April 2023. This is in addition to the existing hosepipe ban that is already in place for Cornwall and a small part of North Devon.”

South West Water has extended the existing hosepipe ban to include more of Cornwall and parts of Devon (Andrew Matthews/PA Archive/PA Images)

The ban is “hoped to be lifted on 1 December or sooner if the area receives drought breaking rainfall”, it added.

In February 2023, rainfall in the southwest was 80 percent lower than average, receiving just 17mm across the month.

Though reservoir levels are recovering across the region, they remain lower than this time last year. In March 2023, Roadford Reservoir – which supplies areas of North Devon – was at 66 percent versus 96 percent in March 2022.

Likewise, Colliford – serving parts of North and South East Cornwall - was at 60 percent compared to last year’s 79%.