Hosepipe ban finally ends after 13 months

A HOSEPIPE ban enforced across Devon has finally ended after more than a year. The ban had been in place since August last year when South West Water confirmed anyone in the county was not allowed to water their garden, clean a private vehicle, or fill a swimming pool among other rules.

- ELLIOT BALL

Despite periods of on-and-off heavy rainfall since, water storage levels had not restored to a comfortable enough point to lift the ban.

That was until a year later (last month) when SWW announced it planned to finally lift the ban following a bout of recent rainfall.

At the time it did not give an exact date, but the ban was eventually ended officially on Monday. SWW confirmed that Cornwall's and Devon's main reservoirs had reached high enough levels to end the ban.

Colliford Reservoir in Cornwall is at 52% storage, up 28% from last year, and Devon's Roadford Reservoir is at 53% storage, up 10% from this time last year.