South West Water has swerved how it will monitor and enforce a hosepipe ban slapped on customers in parts of East Devon from Tuesday lunchtime (July 14).
The water giant imposed a hosepipe ban for Axminster, Honiton and Dunkeswell, in East Devon, Lyme Regis, in Dorset, Tiverton, South Molton, and Bampton, on the Somerset border, blaming ‘exceptionally high demand’ amid the heatwave.
The ban on using hosepipes came into force from 12noon but South West Water refused to reveal if enforcement relied on customer trust or neighbour surveillance and what penalties await anyone caught flouting the restriction.
No date was given when SWW plans to lift the ban.
SWW told concerned customers to check the company’s website for further information.
However, by 5.45pm on July 14, the website had crashed preventing access to hosepipe ban information.
A SWW spokesman said: “Our priority at the moment is communicating with our customers in the locations impacted.”
The temporary ban comes days after customers in parts of East Devon were told by SWW to cut shower times and slash daily use, revealing it had brought in tankers to help to ease drinking water demand.
The new rule means hosepipes cannot be used to water gardens, washing cars, patios, boats, of filling swimming and paddling pools.
David Harris, South West Water’s managing director for water services, said ‘extreme hot weather’ over the last few weeks was to blame for ‘exceptionally high demand’ on the drinking water network in Mid Devon and parts of East Devon.
He said the company had been ‘doing everything we can’ to protect water supplies in the area.
He said: “The decision to restrict hosepipe use is never taken lightly as we know how important it is for our customers to enjoy water wisely during hot weather.
“We will continue to monitor our demand levels daily and as soon as we see demand return to normal for this time of year, allowing our treatment water supply network to recover, we will lift the restrictions.”
Last week customers in Honiton and Axminster were urged to take four-minute showers, turn off taps for cold drinks or teeth brushing, and limiting garden watering, saying its drinking water treatment works serving the area was working at full capacity.
To help protect water supplies, and reduce the risk of supply, SWW told residents and businesses in Honiton, Axminster, Lyme Regis, Cullompton and Tiverton to only turn on the taps for water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, sanitary purposes and ‘essential’ washing for clothes.
- Are you affected by the hosepipe ban in East Devon? Email newsdesk@eastdevonnews.co.uk
