A hosepipe ban which is in force across Thames Valley will remain in place until water reserves return to normal levels.

Thames Water, which supplies nearly 10 million people, has said water levels are well below where they need to be.

The ban, known as a temporary use ban, was put in place in August after an extremely dry spell of weather.

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Andrew Tucker, Thames Water's water demand manager, told the BBC there was no set date for the ban being lifted.

However, it was unlikely it would happen before the new year.

He told the broadcaster: "We are still trying to recover from a really tough year that Mother Nature threw at us.

"Ten of the last 12 months have been below average rainfall. We've had a little bit in September and we can see the grass is now greening up but an average September doesn't make up for 10 months of dry and record heat."

A Thames Water spokesperson told this newspaper the ban being lifted will “depend on the weather”.

They said: “We’ve had nearly a year’s worth of below average rainfall and our rivers and groundwater needs a lot of re-refilling. 

“We need our autumn and winter months to give above average rainfall, so that our water reserves can get back to normal levels, ready for spring and summer next year.”

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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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