South West Water has now announced when it will start the temporary measures across Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset, and the Isles of Scilly. The ban comes into effect from 00:01am on Saturday, August 8, and is being brought in due to ongoing drought conditions. Rainfall across the South West has been significantly below seasonal averages for several months, prompting the Environment Agency to declare a drought across half of England, including the South West. He said: "Introducing a hosepipe ban is never a decision we take lightly, and we fully appreciate the inconvenience it will cause. Customers are being asked to begin following the restrictions immediately to help protect water supplies during the prolonged dry period.