A hose pipe ban which has been in place throughout Cornwall for a year is about to be lifted.
South West Water have confirmed that hose pipe restrictions in Cornwall and the upper Tamar, served by the Colliford reservoir will be removed on September 25.
This is due to a combination of factors, including investment from South West Water, collaboration of customers and recent rainfall leading to the reservoir having 19% more water in storage than it did this time last year.
A hose pipe ban on properties in Devon is set to be reviewed after the holiday season.
A spokesperson for South West Water said: “South West Water can confirm we will lift the hosepipe restrictions in Cornwall and Upper Tamar on 25 September. Since the restrictions have been in place, there have been positive developments due to the collaboration of customers, South West Water's investments, and recent rainfall.
“Colliford Reservoir is at 57% storage, up 19% from last year. Climate change has shown how unpredictable weather patterns can be and we must continue to protect the region’s rivers and beautiful natural resources. We want to emphasise that water is a valuable resource and urge residents, businesses, and visitors to use water responsibly and Save Every Drop.
“We will continue to closely monitor water resources, the weather and demand. We have been working closely with the Environment Agency to ensure any decisions are taken responsibly. We appreciate the efforts of our customers, visitors and businesses in conserving water.”
At Colliford, the water company's spokesperson said of the situation: "Our region is still officially in drought which is one of the reasons we have had to keep the ban in place until 25th September.
South West Water is investing £125 million to increase water resources by around 45% in Cornwall and 30% in Devon by 2025. This will be done with new desalination plans, further repurposing of quarries and developing new storage solutions.
To date, we have provided more than 180,000 free water saving devices to customers to help reduce water use – as well as bills as part of our Save Every Drop campaign.
They also explained why the ban lifting had not been implemented in Devon yet, adding: "South West Water will review the situation for Roadford at the end of the peak holiday season.
"The ban was implemented in April, and there have been positive impacts made by interventions, customer support and the weather.
"There are two major pipe transfer schemes, one already in place for this winter and another one coming on board in February to help with future water resilience in Devon.
"The situation in Devon is improving and we will continue to monitor.
"We are investing to optimise water resources – developing new water sources, building new infrastructure equivalent to 45% increase in Cornwall and 30% increase in Devon by 2025."