South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban affecting 2.4 million customers across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, effective from Saturday. The company has urged customers to immediately reduce water usage, including refraining from using hosepipes for gardens, cars, patios, boats, or swimming pools. This ban extends beyond the existing restrictions already in place for its Kent customers.
Other Water Companies Also Impose Restrictions
Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, and Affinity Water have similarly introduced hosepipe bans due to insufficient rainfall and heightened demand. The moves come as much of the UK experiences parched conditions following prolonged heatwaves.
Record Dry Spell and Low Reservoir Levels
The Met Office reported that central and south-east England recorded zero rainfall for 14 consecutive days from July 2 to July 15, the longest unbroken dry spell this century. For south-east England, this is the longest rain-free period since a 15-day spell in April 1997, and for central England since a 14-day run in June 1996. Reservoir storage levels in England stand at 79%, about 5 percentage points below the long-term average, according to the Environment Agency. Six reservoirs, including Wimbleball in Somerset, Grafham in Cambridgeshire, and Hanningfield in Essex, are classified as “notably low,” while Blagdon reservoir in Somerset is “exceptionally low.”
Company Cites Declining River Levels
South East Water attributed the ban to declining river levels and the need to protect groundwater sources after lower-than-average rainfall and high demand. Douglas Whitfield, water supply director at South East Water, stated: “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.”
Greenpeace Criticizes Water Companies Over Leaks
Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist Dr. Doug Parr criticized water companies, noting that they lose nearly three billion litres of water daily through leaks. He 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.”
Heatwave Records
In 2026, the UK has already experienced 28 days where temperatures exceeded 30°C, with seven in May, eight in June, and 13 in July. The record for the number of 30°C-plus days in a calendar year is 34, set in 1995.
