Hosepipe ban lifted

The ban - introduced in Sussex in June, 2005 - restricted public use of hosepipes and sprinklers and formed the vanguard of a mass campaign to promote water-efficiency as Sussex suffered its driest period since the 1930s.

But heavy autumn and winter rainfall has helped recharge reservoirs and underground sources, although the water company has emphasised a full recovery is still some way off.

The ban will be officially lifted from midnight tonight (Wednesday).

Andy Watson, the company's director of operations, appealed to customers to be aware of how much water a hosepipe and sprinkler can use and urged customers to continue to be water-efficient

He said: "A family of four uses in a day the same amount of water as a hosepipe in an hour, and although our resources are better this winter compared with last year, they are still at a low level.

"As a result, we would ask customers for their continued support in being water efficient and avoiding waste following their fantastic response during the drought."

Southern Water has doubled the number of staff dealing with water leaks and has invested more than 20 million fast-tracking schemes to produce additional water and enable supplies to be moved around the region.