A WATER company has revealed that a hosepipe ban will have to stay in place despite recent rainfall.

Southern Water introduced the ban for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on August 5 after a drought was declared.

The ban was the first of its kind in the region since 2012 and was put in place because of the low levels of the Rivers Test and Itchen.

It applies to the use of a hosepipe for things like watering plants, cleaning cars or driveways or filling up paddling pools.

A letter to customers has revealed that the ban will need to stay in place for 'a bit longer' and has detailed the affects it has had on saving water.

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The letter, from chief customer officer Katy Taylor, said: "We fully appreciate the impact these restrictions have on customers. I want to reassure you of the things we're doing to reduce the demand on our rivers and water loss in our network.

"By following these restrictions, our customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have reduced water usage in the area by around five per cent compared to last year, saving roughly 11 million litres of water, that's enough to fill four Olympic sized swimming pools. Thank you for playing your part and helping reduce the pressure on our valuable local water sources - the Rivers Test and Itchen.

"Despite the reduction in demand and recent wet weather, the River Test's levels are continuing to fall and are around 25 per cent lower than where they should be at this time of year. That's because lower than average rainfall for the last 10 months means our environment needs a lot more rain to replenish what's been lost. So, restrictions must stay in place a bit longer."

Breaking the ban can result in fines of up to £1,000.