Hosepipe ban lifted, as heavy rain returns

Hosepipe ban lifted, as heavy rain returns

The hosepipe ban across Devon will be lifted on September 25th, South West Water has revealed. The utility company announced that “all restrictions”, many of which came into force on April 25th in the county, were being lifted after recent rain and reviews of reservoir levels.

“Climate change has shown how unpredictable weather patterns can be and we must continue to protect the region’s rivers and beautiful natural resources,” said David Harris, South West Water’s drought and resilience director. “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 at this challenging time - but please keep using water wisely this autumn and winter.”

The local reservoir at Whistlandpound has been close to full for some time, but it is only used as a reserve. Roadford Lake at Lifton is the main supply for most of Devon and had fallen to 53% as of September 19th, when the announcement on easing the restrictions was made.

Steve Willington at the Met Office in Exeter said, “Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall and their associated impacts, marked a transition between the heat of early September and the more Atlantic-dominated autumnal weather including the remnants of ex-Hurricane Lee.”

The year long hosepipe ban in neighbouring Cornwall is also being lifted on September 25th. Water stocks have improved across the border, it’s said partly due to a 20% drop in summer holiday visitors.

South West Water says the delayed decision for Devon was because weather patterns remain uncertain, “It is climate change that is driving these weather patterns. We had an incredibly hot year last year, which drew supplies down dramatically, and they still haven’t fully recovered.”

The company says it is hoped further work in the Roadford reservoir zone could prevent future bans, adding, “between 2025 and 2030, we’ve got some regional water options which are progressing through construction and other initiatives.”

“Devon and Cornwall received 162mm of rain during July (232% of July average), which is classed as ‘exceptionally high’ for the time of year”

“River flows ranged from ‘normal’ to ‘notably high’ for the time of year (summer)”

“Storage at all strategic reservoirs decreased in the summer; Wimbleball 70% (30%), Colliford 53% (27%) and Roadford 54% (44%)” Sept 2022 figures in brackets

Source: Environment Agency/SWW

Above, Roadford Lake supplies most of Devon, including here in the north, but still only just over half full