With much of the UK suffering parched conditions, water companies are resorting to hosepipe bans to preserve supplies
Around eight million households and others now face being fined for using a hosepipe as supplies react to the ongoing hot weather.
South East Water became the latest company to announce temporary restrictions for 2.4 million customers in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from Saturday, having already had a ban in place in Kent. The firm is asking customers to cut back water use straight away, telling them not to use hosepipes for their gardens, cars, patios, boats or swimming pools.
It has become the fifth supplier to announce a “temporary use ban” – following Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, and Affinity Water – due to a lack of rain and increased demand for water. The orders cover around 10 million customers.
Thames Water, the country’s largest water firm, is only asking customers at this not to use hosepipes or sprinklers during heatwaves. “This will help us make sure everyone gets enough water for essential use,” it said.
Hosepipe bans are enforced by water companies, who have the authority to impose fines of up to £1,000 on those who violate it.
However, Greenpeace said the threat came as water firms in England and Wales are wasting around five times more water through leaky pipes.
South East Water said it has seen a “decline in river levels” and needs to “protect some groundwater sources” after lower than average rainfall, hot weather and high demand for water.
Douglas Whitfield, water supply director at South East Water, said: “Our absolute priority has to be making sure there is always enough water for everyone’s essential daily needs: drinking, cooking and hygiene.
“To safeguard our shared resource and help prevent any homes from facing a sudden loss of water, we sadly need to ask our communities to not use their hosepipes immediately. We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone helping us protect water supplies in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.”
It comes as central and south-east England have seen the longest unbroken spell of no recorded rainfall this century, Met Office figures suggest.
An average of zero rainfall has been measured across the organisation’s weather stations in both regions for 14 days in a row, from July 2 to July 15, according to the latest available data.
This is the longest unbroken run of days with no rain for south-east England since a 15-day spell in April 1997. For central England, it is the longest period since a 14-day run of no recorded rainfall in June 1996. Data for July 16 has yet to be published, but could show the rain-free spells in both regions extending for even longer.
Reservoir storage levels in England are currently at 79%, around five percentage points below the long-term average for the time of year, the Environment Agency said as it released its weekly dry weather and drought report on Friday.
Six reservoirs are classed as having “notably low” levels, including Wimbleball in Somerset, Grafham in Cambridgeshire and Hanningfield in Essex, while Blagdon reservoir in Somerset is classed as being “exceptionally low”.
It comes after there have been 28 days in 2026, consecutive and non-consecutive, when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the UK: seven in May, eight in June and 13 in July.
The record for the number of 30C-plus days in a calendar year is 34, which was set in 1995.
Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist Dr Doug Parr said: “Of course people should use water carefully during prolonged hot and dry weather. But it’s galling to be told to put away the hose while water companies are losing nearly three billion litres every day through leaks. Fossil-fuelled climate change is making severe droughts more frequent and more dangerous, so ministers must not treat water security as tomorrow’s problem.
“The incoming Burnham government must force water companies to repair and renew the network and tackle the fossil-fuel pollution driving extreme heat and drought. Without this, people and nature will ultimately pay the price, not the company shareholders and execs.”
Water companies with bans
Affinity Water: covers its central region, which is Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of Essex. Customers can’t use a hosepipe to water gardens,, wash cars, clean windows and patio, fill swimming and paddling pools, or use jet washers. Has also asked customers in its east Essex area and in Kent to use water wisely. Affinity has 3.9million customers but the ban applies to around 1.1 million of them..
Anglian Water: Affects over five million customers. Company says usage has dropped 9% since it enforced a hosepipe ban on July 11. The temporary move applies watering the garden (including with sprinklers), watering plants, washing car, cleaning patios and driveways, cleaning walls and window, filling paddling pools, swimming pools or hot tubs, filling ponds and ornamental fountains, cleaning private leisure boats. Anglian water has not imposed a a ban since 2012.
Cambridge Water: Ban came into force on July 17 and affects its 350,000 customers in Cambridgeshire parts of Bedfordshire.
Southern Water: Ban impacts applies to 791,000 customers in 336,000 properties in Hampshire as well as 144,000 customers in 75,000 properties on the Isle of Wight. Stops households using a hosepipe for non-essential activities, including, watering gardens, including using a sprinkler system, filling paddling pools, hot tubs, swimming pools, ponds or fountains, and washing cars, patios, or windows.
