A hosepipe ban has been extended until December across swathes of Devon and Cornwall to “break the cycle of drought” after a shortage of rainfall last month.
South West Water said reservoirs had fallen to their lowest ever recorded levels last year but water stocks in some areas were already lower than in April 2022.
The utility company said it hoped the ban would be lifted on December 1 “or sooner”, if the area received “drought-breaking rainfall”.
In a statement on its website, it said: “Our water resources across the region remain under pressure and as we go into the summer period we have taken the necessary action to safeguard supplies and break the cycle of drought following lower than average levels of rainfall last year and throughout February.”
The move is set to impact around 390,000 homes.
Last August Thames Water introduced a three month hosepipe ban after record-breaking scorching weather with highs of 40C.
The ban had affected 15 million customers in London and the Thames Valley, preventing them from watering gardens or washing cars.
The utility company had faced criticism at the time for imposing the measure when around a quarter of its supply was lost in leaks.
