First Wessex Water hosepipe ban since 1976 announced

A water company has announced its first hosepipe ban in 50 years after weeks of drought and record-breaking demand for water.

Wessex Water’s ban – its first since 1976 – will come into force from Tuesday, bringing it in line with eight other water companies nationwide that have introduced restrictions over the summer.

The company supplies water to around 1.4 million customers across Bath and parts of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

“This isn’t a decision we’ve made lightly and we’re sorry for the inconvenience it will cause,” said the company’s chief executive Ruth Jefferson.

“The prolonged and extreme dry weather has meant demand across our region has consistently remained at more than 400 million litres per day, 30 per cent above average for this time of year,” she added.

“[That’s] the equivalent of almost half a million hosepipes running for a full hour every day.”

July 11 saw the company’s highest ever demand, with 449m litres used.