More water restrictions on the way

Car washes, filling of swimming pools, watering of sports pitches and golf courses could be hit if Southern Water obtains a drought order to enable it to ban non-essential uses of water.The company applied to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the order on Monday.The application comes as the south east continues to be held in the grip of the driest period in the last 100 years, which has left some water resources across the region at the lowest levels ever seen.

Both Bewl Water and Weir Wood reservoirs reached their all time lowest levels last Autumn and are currently well below where they would normally be at this time of year. Underground sources are also significantly depleted and reaching historically low levels because of the two back-to-back dry winters.

Southern Water is currently carrying out work on more than 50 schemes to help tackle the drought by making more water available and moving it more efficiently around the region. The company is also continuing its campaign to tackle leakage, promote water efficiency and encourage more customers to have a free water meter fitted to help conserve supplies.

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Southern Water has a hosepipe ban in place across the two counties but the company says that without taking action to relieve some of the pressure on water supplies and to preserve vital resources, serious supply problems could occur later in the year.

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