Drought restrictions widen in the West as leaks and reservoir levels reveal a varied water picture

Drought restrictions are widening across the West of England, but local conditions are not uniform: a first hosepipe ban since 1976, a drought order for the River Severn, a leaking water pipe and a reservoir that remains nearly full are all part of the same dry spell [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16].

Wessex Water has introduced its first hosepipe ban since 1976, with the company saying it is experiencing record-breaking demand for water amid the ongoing drought, BBC Bristol and BBC News Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire reported [1][2][3][4][8][11][12][15]. In rural Somerset, the Somerset Rivers Authority and local drainage boards are working during the hot weather to keep rivers in good shape, the Weston Mercury and Somerset County Gazette reported [5][6][7].

A drought order has been sought for the River Severn because of exceptionally low rainfall, with proposals to reduce reservoir releases and water abstractions, the Cotswold Journal reported [9]. Residents told the BBC that a water pipe has been leaking thousands of litres a day while the West is in drought [10][14].

The picture is different elsewhere. Thames Water issued a new statement on the UK hosepipe ban as rain hit Oxfordshire, the Cotswold Journal reported [13]. Farmoor reservoir is more than 90 per cent full despite the drought, the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard reported [16]. Martin Padley, water director at Thames Water, said he was grateful to everyone who had already reduced their water use during the prolonged dry spell [16].