Thames Water has announced that it has lifted its hosepipe ban, three months after the ban was introduced.

Across Swindon and North Wiltshire, 15 million customers were told they could not use their hosepipes due to the extremely dry summer that the UK experienced.

The restriction meant people were not able to use hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars and windows, or fill paddling pools.

Now the water utility company has allowed customers to use their hose pipes, following the recent wet weather and above-average rainfall.

Reservoirs across the Thames Water area experienced 130 per cent more rainfall than the long-term average in September and October, and in the first two weeks of November, a month's worth of rainfall.

Sarah Bentley, Thames Water CEO said: “We are grateful to our customers for their support in saving water during the hosepipe ban. Small changes can make a huge difference when it comes to preserving water and we’re thankful to all our customers for their efforts.

“Careful consideration has gone into our decision to remove the ban. Despite the recent rain, we still need to protect our future water supply. We need more rain throughout winter to ensure our rivers and reservoirs are fully recharged, ready for spring and summer next year.”

Thames Water has told to customers that a cautious approach is still required with West London reservoirs remaining below average storage levels.

Sarah added: “Whilst storage levels have improved at many of our reservoirs, we’re not out of the woods yet. Some sites in West London remain below average, which is why we’re adopting a cautious approach and carefully monitoring water levels throughout autumn and winter.   

“It’s also why fixing leaks remains our top priority. We’re investing millions to upgrade infrastructure across the region. This supports my Turnaround plan, which aims to transform Thames Water’s performance, improving the service our customers receive and protecting the environment.

“Our teams fix over 1,000 leaks a week- that’s one leak every 10 minutes. Thames Water will spend over £55 million to further help reduce leakage and £200 million replacing water mains, over the next three years.”

Although the hose pipe ban has now been lifted, customers are being urged to continue using less water at home. They say simple switches like taking shorter showers and fully loading washing machines will help protect future supplies and save customers money on their energy bills too.