South East Water has announced a Temporary Use Ban – commonly known as a hosepipe ban - for its customers in Kent and Sussex.
Announcing the ban, the water company said this has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK and the use of a hosepipe or sprinkler will be restricted from Friday 12th August.
Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.
During July in the South East, South East Water has only seen 8 percent of average rainfall for the month and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.
According to the utility, the demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave.
South East Water has been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply its customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.
Activities covered by the ban include:
- Watering a garden using a hosepipe
- Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (or a trailer for such a vehicle) using a hosepipe
- Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
- Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
- Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool, or a domestic pond ( manmade and natural)
- Cleaning walls, windows, paths or patios of domestic premises using a hosepipe
- Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
A statement issued by the company said:
“We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 00:01 on Friday 12th August within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.
“We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources.”
South East Water has also provided contact details for members of the public to report someone deliberately misusing water whilst the hosepipe ban is in place, or using a hosepipe connected to a water mains feed without an exemption, by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is urging people who feel they may need extra support during the restrictions to ensure they are registered for the company’s priority services.
In response to South East Water’s announcement that it is to introduce the hosepipe ban, Karen Gibbs, Senior Policy Manager at CCW, said:
“The exceptionally dry weather and high demand for water means restrictions are now needed in these regions to protect water for essential use and to ensure the environment is not left permanently scarred.
“Our research shows that many people are unsure how to use less water and how their actions can help the environment, so it’s critical South East Water promotes its water-saving freebies and keeps sharing easy ways for people to reduce their use.”
“We’d urge anyone who feels they may need extra support during the restrictions to ensure they are registered for the company’s priority services.”
Click here for more information about the ban
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