AS a drought is officially declared across the region, a hosepipe ban has been introduced over the Tamar in Cornwall – the first from South West Water in 26 years.

It comes as the major reservoir supplying the area, Colliford on Bodmin Moor, stands at just over 40 per cent full after the driest July since 1935. Parts of the Devon side of the Upper Tamar Valley are also affected by the hosepipe ban, announced on Monday and to take effect next Tuesday. Meanwhile, the major reservoir supplying West Devon, Roadford, is 57.4 per cent full. The reservoirs on Dartmoor, Meldon, Fernworthy and Burrator, are standing at 49, 58, and 42.2 per cent full respectively.

South West Water’s hosepipe ban for Cornwall and the Upper Tamar Valley will come in at one minute past midnight next Tuesday, August 23. From then on, people in these areas must only water gardens, clean cars and scrub fences with water carried in a watering can, filled from a tap, a water butt or a private borehole or ‘grey water’ such as bathwater. This temporary measure will not apply to blue badge holders or those on South West Water’s priority register. Businesses and farmers are unaffected.

Lisa Gahan, responsible for water resources at South West Water, said: ‘Due to the extremely hot and prolonged dry weather, we believe the right thing to do is to introduce a temporary use ban, acting now in areas of the region where we are forecasting pressures on reservoirs, to protect water resources and to safeguard the environment, allowing rivers and reservoirs to recharge over the winter months. ’

The eight-month period from November 2021 to June 2022 has been the driest in England since 1976 and the Met Office has revealed that July 2022 was the driest July for England since 1935, with just 35% of its average rainfall. South West Water says that one of the pressures on its supply has been the increase in demand over the last 18 months, reaching anticipated 2050 levels, as more people move to the region in response to the pandemic. Many are now less than half full. The company relies on reservoirs and rivers for the majority of the supply in the South West, and rivers in the region perilously low.

A South West Water spokesperson said: ‘We can’t say exactly how long the ban will last as it purely depends on how much rain we get in the next few weeks, and how much demand is lowered. We’ll constantly be monitoring the situation and the levels of water in our reservoirs and rivers. The ban will be lifted once these levels return to normal. ’Steve Marks, the Environment Agency’s drought lead for Devon and Cornwall said: ‘With continuing exceptionally dry and hot weather, river levels across Devon and Cornwall are exceptionally low – many showing the lowest flows on record – this places incredible strain on local wildlife and this is why Devon and Cornwall are moving to drought status.

‘We are prioritising our local operations to minimise impacts on the environment.’