Southern Water introduced the ban in July to reduce the pressure on the Test and Itchen rivers, after a long period of dry weather.

The ban has been lifted this morning, with Southern Water saying this is thanks to September and October’s wetter weather and the efforts of the company’s leakage team.

While the ban was in place, the company says around 1,700 leaks were found and fixed, saving more than 17 million litres of water.

The company thanked its customers for their efforts in saving millions of litres of water every day.

Tim McMahon, Southern Water’s director of water, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to our customers for their support and understanding during this challenging time.

“By working together, we’ve not only saved millions of litres of water each day, but also helped protect our precious chalk streams.

“This is a great example of how working together can make a real difference to our environment.”

The Test and Itchen rivers supply drinking water to most of Southern Water’s customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The rivers are home to rare wildlife and delicate ecosystems, so reducing the need to abstract water from them during a very dry period has been critical in protecting them.