DORSET is now officially in environment drought, along with the rest of south-west England.

The Environment Agency has declared the region’s rivers are short of water, causing problems for wildlife and wetlands. But this does not mean there are risks to public supplies and Wessex Water says it has no plans to impose restrictions, such as hosepipe bans, but is urging its customers to continue to save water.

The Wessex Water region, which covers Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire, has had below average rainfall this winter but on average reservoirs are 85 per cent full.

“Although the region is in environmental drought, this does not suggest that we will be imposing water restrictions such as hosepipe bans,” said head of water resources Luke de Vial.

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