Hosepipe ban extended to cover much of Devon

A hosepipe prohibition has travel into unit crossed ample parts of Devon.

South West Water (SWW) said the extended restriction would assistance replenish h2o supplies astatine Roadford reservoir up of the summer.

The inferior said astir 390,000 homes successful Devon would beryllium affected by the latest restriction.

An initial ban, which is inactive successful spot aft being introduced successful August 2022, covers Cornwall and a tiny portion of northbound Devon.

Towns and a city, including Plymouth, Barnstaple, Tavistock and Torquay, are each successful the caller h2o regularisation area.

They articulation much than 250,000 households successful Cornwall and northbound Devon already covered by the ban.

During the 2022 heatwave, the Environment Agency declared that astir of England was officially successful drought.

Now lone East Anglia, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly proceed to clasp that presumption successful England.

The prohibition means households cannot usage a hose for activities specified arsenic gardening oregon washing a car. Businesses are exempt.

David Harris, SWW drought and resilience director, said the prohibition was estimated to trim request by astir 5%.

"We recognize that our customers don't similar these measures... [but] it's really the liable happening for america to bash astatine this clip up of that highest summertime demand," helium said.

Reservoir levels crossed SWW's web are reported to beryllium 17% little than astatine the aforesaid clip successful 2022 - immoderate of the lowest h2o levels successful the state - contempt this March being 1 of the wettest connected record.

Roadford reservoir, which services Devon, is astatine astir 70% capacity, and Colliford reservoir, servicing Cornwall, is astatine astir 60%, according to SWW's most caller figures.

Follow BBC News South West connected Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your communicative ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.