AS summer begins, South West Water is asking customers, businesses and visitors in Devon for their continued support in using water wisely.

As one of only two regions officially in drought across the UK, in April South West Water extended its hosepipe ban, which was already in place in Cornwall and parts of North Devon, to other parts of Devon.

Teignbridge has been under water restrictions since April, with a variety of hosepipe-based activities banned for the foreseeable future. A £1000 fine is threatened for anyone who touts the rules.

Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly remain officially in drought status, as declared by the Environment Agency.

With climate change bringing more prolonged hot and dry weather conditions, as seen last month and so far this month with lower than average rainfall across the South West, reservoir levels across the region have been unable to fully recharge ahead of the peak summer demand.

Colliford Reservoir, serving Cornwall dropped to around 15% last year. This year, it's currently around 2% higher than this time last year

Roadford Reservoir, which serves much of Devon, currently has nearly 16% less water than the same time in 2022.

In Teignbridge, Kennick, Trenchford and Tottiford are currently around 92% full while Venford is at 95%. However, a spokesperson for South West Water said: 'It’s important to note that these reservoirs are supported by Roadford, our large strategic reservoir for the area.'

South West Water is investing £125 million in its water resources to secure resilience through desalination solutions, installing new pipelines and repurposing quarries. By 2025, it aims to significantly increase its water resources by 45% in Cornwall and 30% in Devon.

Meanwhile, the company continues to urge everyone across the region to change the way we think about water usage.

South West Water’s Save Every Drop campaign is encouraging and supporting customers, businesses and tourists across the region in reducing non-essential water usage to help protect water supplies, by highlighting how small every day changes in our water use habits can have an extraordinary impact on reducing daily demand, cutting bills for those on a water meter and helping to protect our natural environment.

Through the campaign customers can discover tips and hints on how to reduce water usage and claim a range of free water-saving devices from shower regulators and timers, to bufaloo bags and leaky loo detectors.

As visitors to the South West play a big part in the increased demand over the summer, South West Water is also working with holiday parks and tourists to help them recognise their role in protecting water supplies and the beautiful environment they love to visit.

As well as radio and service station advertising, South West Water has issued leaflets and posters to every household and business across the South West and around 3,500 tourist information locations.

South West Water’s Drought and Resilience Director, David Harris, said: 'The impact of climate change has been intensified by population growth and tourism, and as a result our reservoirs are still not where we need them to be.

'That’s why we need customers, businesses and visitors in our beautiful region to continue to do their part and reduce their water use whenever possible. We are not asking customers to stop using water, we are asking that they use it responsibly.

'We have a plan in place, and this is working. So far our interventions have already delivered results, boosting resources by around 25% in Cornwall, and around 12% in Devon.'

For more information on the hosepipe ban and how to order free water-saving devices, click here.