A hosepipe ban has been introduced by Wessex Water following weeks of exceptionally dry weather and record demand for water.
The restrictions come into force from 12.01am on Tuesday 18 August and apply to household customers across the Wessex Water area, including parts of Wiltshire.
The company said the region has now been formally declared as being in drought, with demand for water remaining at record levels for more than 40 days.
Under the ban, households must not use a hosepipe for activities including watering gardens, washing cars, patios, paths and driveways, cleaning windows or filling swimming and paddling pools.
It is the first time Wessex Water has introduced a hosepipe ban in 50 years, with the previous restrictions dating back to the drought of 1976.
Wessex Water chief executive Ruth Jefferson said the decision had not been taken lightly, but was needed to protect water supplies during the prolonged dry spell.
She said demand across the region had consistently remained above 400 million litres a day, around 30% higher than average for this time of year.
“While we’re not running out of water for essential use, our challenge has been moving water through the network quickly enough to meet these record levels of demand,” she said.
The company said its repair teams have also been working to tackle leaks, with the number of leaks being found and fixed increasing by more than a third over the past month.
Residents are being encouraged to make simple changes to reduce water use, including allowing lawns to go brown, using a watering can rather than a hosepipe and keeping showers short.
Wessex Water is also encouraging people not to wash their cars during the dry spell, apart from keeping windscreens and number plates clean.
The company said larger business customers who use significant amounts of water are also being contacted and asked to avoid non-essential use.
More information about the hosepipe ban, including exemptions and the activities covered by the restrictions, is available from Wessex Water's hosepipe ban information
