No hosepipe ban for Sussex, says water boss

The boss of Southern Water says its customers in Sussex will not face a hosepipe ban during the latest heatwave.

Tim McMahon described the area as "resilient", but urged customers to conserve water by avoiding filling paddling pools and taking baths.

The company has already announced a hosepipe ban affecting customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

In Kent, South East Water customers also face similar restrictions on their water use, with the company's 850,000 consumers told to adhere to the ban "immediately".

McMahon spoke to BBC News as Southern Water held a roadshow event in Worthing.

Thursday's event is being held to share information about the company's £44m spending plans across the area to improve its resilience and upgrade infrastructure.

"We're in a resilient area, the Sussex area," McMahon said.

"It's actually better than this time last year because of the heavy rainfall we saw. So we're in a good position, so no risk of a temporary use ban in this area."

He said Worthing was "a very resilient area" with "lots of ways we can move water around, so no risk there".

However, he added: "But what I do urge customers to do is use water wisely.

"The South East of England is a water scarce region - it's drier than Marrakech, drier than Sydney."

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