Dorchester Town Council has urged residents to cut back on water use as Wessex Water tries to avoid a Wessex Water hosepipe ban. Demand across the region is running more than 30 per cent above normal, and the company says it wants to keep formal restrictions off the table.
A spokesman for Dorchester Town Council said: "Wessex Water has managed to avoid introducing a hosepipe ban since 1976." He added: "But there is huge demand at the moment and we all need to play a part in reducing consumption to keep our water flowing."
Wessex Water and 1976
Wessex Water said: "It's been 50 years since water restrictions were last needed in our region, and we're doing everything we can to keep it that way." The company said small changes where possible can help keep water flowing, and it has said more leaks are being fixed.
The warning comes as demand rises across the region, with Wessex Water saying use is more than 30 per cent above normal levels. That level of demand has pushed the company to ask residents to use less now rather than wait for tighter limits later.
Wessex Water reservoirs
Wessex Water said: "While we're fixing more leaks and there is still enough water available, it's being used faster than our underground reservoirs can be replenished." The company also said: "By making small changes where possible, we can help keep water flowing for each other and the environment as well as reduce the likelihood of more formal restrictions as the dry conditions continue."
For residents, the practical step is simple: use less where possible so the system does not tighten further. Wessex Water is not saying restrictions are in place now; it is trying to avoid reaching that point if dry conditions continue.
