As swathes of Britain face hosepipe bans after three summer heatwaves in 2026, one UK region has maintained a remarkable record: Severn Trent Water, serving 8 million customers across the Midlands and parts of Wales, has not declared a hosepipe ban since the summer of 1995, the longest such record in the UK.
Record Water Demand and Heat
Severn Trent Water supplies more than 8 million people in England and Wales, including 4.8 million properties in the Midlands. On 11 July 2026, the company recorded its highest ever water demand, with customers using almost 2.4 billion litres—400 million litres more than usual. This extra volume is enough to supply 2 million people or fill 700 million pints.
The Met Office confirmed that June 2026 was the warmest June on record for England. Severn Trent's networks operation boss Howard Perry acknowledged the pressure: "We have seen very, very high levels of water consumption and that is creating some pressure on the network."
Customer Behaviour and Conservation Efforts
The company attributes the higher demand to increased use of water for gardening, filling paddling pools, and other outdoor activities. To help avoid a ban, Severn Trent urges customers to adopt water-saving measures such as using a watering can instead of a sprinkler, letting lawns recover naturally, reusing paddling pool water on plants, and running washing machines and dishwashers only with full loads.
Perry emphasised that customer cooperation, combined with the company's leak reduction efforts, has been key to maintaining the three-decade ban-free record. According to the latest reading on 13 July 2026, Severn Trent's reservoirs were at about 77.4% capacity. "That is OK for the time of year," Perry said, "but if consumption is high through the summer, it can drain those reservoirs down quicker than we would like. That's why it's important customers use water wisely."
Regional Comparisons and Other Bans
While Severn Trent has avoided restrictions, other water companies have not been as fortunate. On 20 July 2026, South East Water announced a temporary hosepipe ban affecting 2.4 million customers in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, effective from 25 July. The company asked customers to immediately stop using hosepipes for gardens, cars, patios, boats, and swimming pools.
Anglian Water has also seen record demand, with Dr Geoff Darch, head of strategic asset planning, describing the situation as equivalent to supplying "four additional Milton Keynes" on the hottest days. Anglian Water implemented a ban from 11 July 2026. Affinity Water, Cambridge Water, and Southern Water have similarly imposed restrictions this summer.
The summer of 1995 saw widespread hosepipe bans across the UK, including Severn Trent's last ban. Other companies have since restricted use in 2006, 2012, 2022, and 2025.
Reservoir Levels and Future Outlook
At Tittesworth Reservoir near Leek, Staffordshire—one of Severn Trent's smallest—capacity was approximately 55%. Perry noted: "It does drain down a bit more quickly than some of our others, so it's not unusual, but it is one of the early warnings for us to be getting the message out."
He added: "Our reservoir position is in a pretty good place but we've got some hot and dry weather coming along and none of us can predict the weather for the rest of the summer. If customers use water wisely, that gives us the best chance of getting through the summer without any restrictions."
