People in Kent and Sussex are temporarily banned from using hosepipes and sprinklers amid an ongoing water shortage.
Due to supply problems in this area, up to 4,000 customers are without water or have had low pressure since Monday (June 12).
If you live in Kent or Sussex, from June 26 you cannot use a hosepipe to wash your car, patio or boat, fill up your swimming, water your garden, water plants or paddling pool, fill or maintain a domestic pond.
All violators may be subject to a £1,000 punishment after this date.
According to South East Water, all of its facilities are operating at maximum capacity, producing treated water from every accessible water source and water treatment facility in order to meet demand.
Why is there a hosepipe ban?
The choice was made in response to a "prolonged period of dry weather," according to South East Water, which affected customer access to treated clean water stocks.
Customers of the corporation in several areas of the South East have recently reported having trouble getting water, which the company has blamed on increased demand.
The water demand has surpassed all historical records, including during the Covid lockdown hot spells, according to South East Water, even though the region is producing an additional 120 million litres of water per day, which is enough to feed four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.
Is there a hosepipe ban in my area?
Use the postcode checker provided by your water provider to see whether there are any bans in effect in your neighbourhood.
You can see whether South West Water’s ban impacts you by checking here.
Has Thames Water issued a hosepipe ban?
Thames Water currently have no ban in place, however, hosepipe bans have been introduced in previous droughts by the company so those in London could expect a ban if the hot weather continues.
The previous ban came in August 2022, when the extreme temperatures resulted in the highest demand for over 25 years, with the company supplying 2.9 billion litres of water a day to customers across the region.
