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Southern Water Seeks Rare Drought Order for Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Approval would widen household hosepipe limits into commercial and non-domestic restrictions to protect the River Test, securing local tap water.

Water companies typically bring in restrictions when their rivers and reservoirs reach low levels. Thames Water, which manages the Queen Mother Reservoir (pictured), has not made such an announcement yet (Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA)
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Overview

  • Southern Water applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday for a non-essential use ban that would cover parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
  • The company says demand has risen above 660 million litres a day and that about 150,000–165,000 people around Southampton and Eastleigh could face supply strain if dry conditions persist.
  • If authorised, the drought order would extend existing hosepipe bans to stop some business uses such as vehicle washing, window cleaning and filling non-domestic pools.
  • The request responds to low flows in the River Test, a rare chalk stream subject to Environment Agency rules since 2018 that limit how much water Southern Water can take.
  • Environment Secretary Angela Eagle has 28 days to decide, with ministers framing the choice as a trade-off between protecting river ecology and avoiding sharper restrictions or supply failures for customers.