Wessex Water has appealed to customers across most of Somerset, Bath, Dorset, and Wiltshire to reduce non-essential use after months of exceptionally dry and hot weather. So far this year, the Wessex Water area has recorded 16 days above 30C, exceeding the previous annual record of 14 days set in 1976. Will Willoughby, director of water supply at Wessex Water, said: “We know that a hosepipe ban would not be welcome news for our customers, especially during the summer holidays. "A ban is a last resort for us, and we don’t want to introduce one, but we do need customers to help. According to Environment Agency data, two Somerset water reservoirs are now classed as "exceptionally low” due to the prolonged hot and dry temperatures.