South East Water hosepipe ban for Kent and Sussex lifted after heavy rain

A hosepipe ban that was put in place in the South East for at least one million people has been lifted.

South East Water said the restrictions in parts of Kent and Sussex were no longer in force after heavy rainfall during November.

The ban on hosepipes began on 12 August following the driest summer since 1976, the company said.

It also thanked customers for following the restrictions, which allowed water resources to recover.

A South East Water spokesman said: "By 20 November there had been close to two months of rainfall in just three weeks."

The company said Ardingly reservoir was now "close to 75 percent full".

Lee Dance, head of water resources for South East Water, said: "In July, the South East received only 8% of average rainfall and demand for water from our 1.4 million customers in Kent and Sussex was exceptional.

"I would like to say thank you to our customers for adhering to the restrictions and finding ways to cut down on their water use."

He said South East Water had been trying new ways of managing water resources, including working with farmers and growers on rainwater harvesting systems, and giving advice on how to use water wisely on farms.

Mr Dance added: "Looking ahead to next summer, we do need people to continue to be mindful about how much water they use so all the sources where we draw water from both in the reservoirs and underground can continue to recover."

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