A hosepipe ban is being introduced to Cornwall and parts of Devon from 23 August, South West Water has announced.
“It’s the first time in 26 years but we’ve been left with no other choice. We need to have a hosepipe ban now to protect our precious water,” a company spokesperson said.
“We’ve done our best to avoid this ban. We’ve increased the amount of water we can store, doubling it since the last drought in 1976.
“We’ve opened reservoirs, installed a new borehole, and improved the way we can move water across the region to help keep everyone’s taps running.”
South West Water said it was fixing about 2,000 leaks a month, with a third happening on customer supply pipes, which were being repaired free of charge.