Thames Water's hosepipe ban came into force at one minute past midnight on Thursday, covering every household it supplies with drinking water across London, the Thames Valley, and the Home Counties. Two days later, South East Water widened its own restrictions into four more counties, and breaking either is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to £1,000.
For a large part of the South East, the rules are unfamiliar. Households across Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire have not faced a South East Water restriction for 14 years, since 2012. Sussex, by contrast, is under its fourth set of restrictions in five years.
