A town council in Wiltshire is looking at new ways to harness water, as no end date is in sight for the ongoing Thames Water hosepipe ban.

A large area of Wiltshire, including Marlborough and Swindon, has been under a strict hosepipe ban since July 22, 2025.

The ban was put in place by Thames Water after a dry and hot summer left water levels at Thames Water's reservoirs depleted.

Despite winter fast approaching, the hosepipe ban remains in place for SN postcodes at the end of October, and Thames Water has confirmed that it is unlikely to be lifted any time soon.

Instead of focusing on the ban, Marlborough Town Council is now pushing forward with new innovative ideas on how to collect and harness water without the need for hosepipes.

No end date has been set for the hosepipe ban(Image: Getty)

Speaking to the Gazette and Herald, Councillor Caroline Sadler said: "We just haven't had any rain for about two to three weeks except very recently.

"So even though it's getting colder, the reservoirs haven't filled up enough and I think there is still a need for the ban.

"I think if it rains for about five to six weeks then maybe they should look at it again, but for now it is unfortunate but necessary.

She added: "Instead, Marlborough Council is looking at options to capture the rain water off roofs and gutters so there's less need for hosepipes.

"We're hoping to introduce some SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) planters which capture the rain off roofs and take a few days to filter that into the plants.

Councillor Caroline Sadler is focusing on sustainable solutions(Image: Caroline Sadler)

"It not only waters the plants and grass without a need for a hosepipe, but also stops it tipping out into the road and the sewage system.

"Hopefully, we will have something in place fairly soon to do a trial and see what the community thinks.

"We're in the process of digging out a rain garden in Priory Garden."

SuDS planters work by filtering rainwater runoff through layers of specially designed soil mix to gradually release and absorb the water. Rain Gardens work in a similar way, but are permanent fixtures in the ground as opposed to a planter.

Both options not only help to reduce the need for hosepipes, but also reduce the risk of flooding.

Thames Water has told the Gazette it will need at least 70 per cent of its average rainfall between now and spring to restore reservoir levels to normal.

Residents in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire are also being affected.

Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, said: "In our region alone, we had less than half the rainfall we would have expected over the last few months, meaning rivers and groundwater levels in the west of our region are still under significant pressure.

"Most rainfall we have had has been soaked up by the excessively dry ground and hasn't had a notable impact to the groundwater levels, which feed the River Thames.

"Our water resources will take time to recover. Consequently, current hosepipe restrictions will remain in place.

"We've also seen a faster decline in London's reservoir levels in recent weeks and we're closely monitoring the situation to help protect water resources ahead of next summer (2026).

"We'd like to thank our customers for their continued support, saving more than 5 million litres of water each day since the hosepipe ban began.

"We encourage everyone to keep using water wisely to protect our local rivers, reservoirs, and wildlife."