Where hosepipe ban for millions comes into place today
Southern Water has introduced the ban across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, which comes into effect at 9 am today.
Residents won't be able to use a hosepipe to do activities like watering the garden, washing their car, or filling a paddling pool.
The company's managing director, Tim McMahon, said: 'Only by working together can we make sure there's enough water to go around for customers and the environment.'
A spokesperson for Southern Water added: 'The Environment Agency has declared the Solent and South Downs in 'prolonged dry weather'.
'We need to work together to protect precious chalk streams and keep taps flowing.'
The firm said it will remove the hosepipe ban 'as soon as we can', but this can only happen once its reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers have refilled enough to meet demand.
Customers in the affected areas could face a £1,000 fine if they're caught using their hosepipe unnecessarily – but Southern Water said they will 'always' remind people about restrictions before taking any action.
But hosepipe bans bring to light the number of leaks in Britain's fragile water infrastructure, which cost customers £396million every year.
Many customers feel angry that they are asked to stop watering their garden or washing their car, when 19% of treated water is lost to leaks before it even comes out of the tap.
Southern Water has already placed a disclaimer on its website telling customers they will not receive a discount on their bills during the hosepipe ban period, saying the restrictions are in place to 'help to protect local rivers and keep taps flowing this summer'.
The firm is one of several ordered last year to repay a total of £157million to customers after missing key targets on reducing pollution, leaks and supply interruptions.
More than 3billion litres of water were wasted every day in England and Wales between 2020 and 2023 due to leaky pipes, amounting to 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day.
But Mr McMahon says his team is 'working 24/7' to find and fix leaks.
He added: 'We're 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.'
Thames Water announced a hosepipe ban on Monday while bans were announced by South West Water and Yorkshire Water earlier this week.
Millions more people across England will soon face hosepipe bans that come into force later this week or early next week.
PO14/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41
SO14/16/18/19/21/22/24/31/40/43/45/50/51/40/53
RG20/28/26/19/28
SP10/11/5
Reservoirs are drying up thanks to a long period of dry and hot weather, with the UK experiencing three heatwaves practically back-to-back after the hottest June on record.
Rain is forecast across the UK later this week, but this will only do so much to refill our reservoirs.
In Yorkshire, for example, reservoirs are only 53.8% full, far lower than the 80.9% average for this time of year. More Trending
Droughts have been declared so far in Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire, the East and West Midlands, and Greater Manchester, Chester and Merseyside.
Plus the Environment Agency says much of the rest of England is experiencing 'prolonged dry weather', with only East Anglia, London, Kent and Cornwall experiencing normal rainfall levels recently.
Droughts are declared based on reservoir levels, river flows, and how dry the soil is – and back in May, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology warned many of the UK's rivers had hit exceptionally low levels.
This has an impact on agriculture, as farmers have had to start watering their crops earlier rather than being able to rely on rainfall.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
MORE: 'Saie's new setting powder is the 2-in-1 summer staple to set my make-up and add a glow'
MORE: Should the voting age be lowered or raised and what about a top limit?
MORE: Don't expect water bills to stop rising after we overhaul sector, minister warns
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
German Olympic champion Dahlmeier seriously injured in Pakistan mountaineering accident
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 29 (Reuters) - German biathlete and double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier has been seriously injured after being struck by a rockfall while attempting to summit a 6,094-metre peak in northern Pakistan, a provincial government spokesperson and a Pakistani climbing federation said on Tuesday. The accident occurred on Monday when Dahlmeier was hit by a landslide in Hushe Valley in the northern mountain range in Gilgit-Baltistan province, said spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, adding that bad weather meant a helicopter had been unable to reach the site. The rescue operation is underway with the cooperation of the Pakistan army, Faraq added. The incident occurred around noon on July 28, at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters at Laila Peak, said Alpine Club of Pakistan, a National Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation. Dahlmeier, 31, was climbing with her mountaineering partner, Marina Eva, when a sudden rockfall hit her, resulting in significant injuries, it said in a statement. Its vice president Karrar Haidri said Dahlmeier was seriously injured. Dahlmeier retired from the sport in 2019, aged 25, a year after becoming the first female biathlete to achieve a sprint and pursuit double at the same Olympics. Her management did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from Reuters. Germany's ZDF broadcaster said that a helicopter overflight on Tuesday had found no signs of life. The country's northern mountainous regions have experienced heavy flooding and landslides, killing several local tourists during the current monsoon spell of rains. Flooding and other rain-related accidents have killed 288 people in Pakistan since the monsoon season began in late June, says the country's National Disaster Management Authority.
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Rare 50p coin sells for more than 300 times its face value after lengthy bidding war – exact details to look out for
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RARE 50p coin has sold for more than 300 times its face value after a lengthy bidding war. The 2009 Kew Gardens coin was sold for £136.99 on eBay after one lucky bidder fought off offers from 18 others. 1 The Kew Gardens 50p is a highly sought after coin This rare find was minted in 2009, and was created to mark 250 years since the botanical gardens opened in 1759. To spot this coin, you need to look on the tails side. It features a leafy vine wrapped around a Chinese pagoda and has the word "Kew" written at the bottom. The front of this coin has an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley, below. There are just 210,000 of these coins in circulation, making it a very rare find. That is compared to The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III 50p, which has been minted five million times. Plus, you might be able to get more than £136 for the piece. In the past, we have seen this coin sell for up to £700 on eBay. More recently, it sold for £134 on the auction website for £110 after 12 bids. But you might not always fetch such a high sum for the piece, with one seller on eBay flogging the same coin for £34 after 11 bids. Spot a Rare £1 Coin Worth Up to £500: The Key Details Every Collector Should Know The Kew Gardens piece is not the only rare coin that can be worth a pretty penny. Last week, the Blue Peter Olympic 50p piece sold on eBay for £165. It was released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. The coin features someone doing the high jump on one side, a design created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol. The final design was chosen from over 17,000 entries as part of a Blue Peter competition. How to spot rare coins and banknotes Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds. If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value. You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers. These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch's face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note. Also, if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky, you could cash in thousands. For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes. You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick "completed and sold items" and filter by the highest value. This will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes But bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Water companies enforcing hosepipe bans leak over one billion litres of water a day
The four water companies with hosepipe bans currently in effect in the UK are leaking over one billion litres of water a day, new analysis has revealed. Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East Water have been criticised for enforcing the bans in the wake of water shortages while leaking massive amounts of water every day. The 1.031 billion litres of water leaked daily in 2024/25 was enough to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools, the figures from the companies' recent annual performance reports show. Bringing attention to the issue, the Liberal Democrats called it a 'scandal,' especially in light of the 'eye-watering' salary and bonuses given to water bosses despite ongoing sector-wide issues. They pointed to the chief executive of Southern Water Lawrence Gosden's pay package rising to £975k in 2024/25, an increase of 35 per cent. Of all the water companies operating in the UK, Thames Water leaked the most in 2024/25, at 569.1 mega litres a day (ML/d). This was down slightly from 570.4 ML/d, but still keeps the London water supplier in the top spot. According to most recent figures, Yorkshire water is leaking 260.2 ML/d, Southern Water 97.7 and South East Water 104.8. Recent analysis by The Independent found that no household has been fined for breaking hosepipe bans over the last five years, calling into question how seriously water companies are taking water-saving measures. Regulator Ofwat says that around a fifth of water running through pipes is still lost to leakage, although this amount has been cut by 41 per cent since 1989, when water companies were privatised. Officially, leakage is water that companies cannot account for; it has entered their systems but not been delivered to homes or businesses used in their operations. It can be driven by factors like the condition of pipes or companies' operational strategies, such as how they manage water pressure. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: 'It is an absolute scandal that families are being told to limit their water use this summer, while these failing water firms are letting over a billion litres a day go to waste through leaky pipes.' A Thames Water spokesperson said: 'Leakage is at its lowest ever level on our network, down 13.2% since 2020, but we know we have more work to do. The extended warm weather also brings increased risks of leaks and bursts due to pipe stress and shifting foundations in the ground.' A Southern Water spokesperson said: 'Last year, we reduced leakage by almost 20% and are seeking the same cut this year, saving 17 million litres more water every day - enough to serve 35,000 customers.' A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We understand how frustrating leaks are for our customers and would like to assure them that reducing leakage on our networks is a priority for us. Leakage is the lowest it has ever been in Yorkshire, and it's something that we work on all year round.' A Water UK spokesperson said:'Water companies are doing everything they can to prevent further restrictions. Leakage is currently at the lowest level on record, with reductions every year since 2020, and will be cut by a further 17% by 2030. 'However, after one of the driest springs on record, recent heatwaves and more dry weather forecast, we're asking everyone to use water wisely and cut back where they can.'
