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Thames Water Issues Hosepipe Ban Update After Rival Extends Restrictions
On Friday, South East Water announced tighter hosepipe restrictions for Sussex customers effective October 9, after Ardingly Reservoir dropped to 22.8 per cent full despite recent rainfall.
Persistent dry weather across England has depleted water sources, with rainfall averaging 65 per cent of normal levels last month and only 57 per cent in September.
Ardingly Reservoir, serving 228,000 customers in Haywards Heath, remains at critically low capacity; the Environment Agency granted a drought permit on Tuesday to reduce river outflows.
Starting October 9, the company will remove hosepipe ban exemptions for vulnerable users, a move Grinstead and Uckfield MP Mims Davies warned will leave residents "going to be worried."
Seeking to restrict commercial water usage, the firm has applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a Non-Essential Use Ban requiring government approval.