Demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex has reached record levels since May – with the ongoing warm and dry weather, we’re all using far more water than usual.
This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hose pipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.
We also continue to monitor the situation in our Western region, where we serve customers in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.
Why are we doing this?
With the ongoing dry weather and high temperatures, we’re all using far more water than usual at home, meaning that we’re pumping much more drinking water to customer taps than normal. Met Office reports show this has been the driest spring in the region since 1893.
Demand for water has increased to the highest levels we have ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres on 30 June 2025. This is 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer. On days like this, we’re pumping enough water to supply an additional 4 towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.
We’ve tried everything possible to avoid these restrictions. Despite your help to save water, and our ongoing efforts to manage our water resources, including launching a comprehensive strategy to find and tackle leaks, our reservoir and underground water storage levels are really low.
If we don’t put a hosepipe ban in place now, there’s a really high risk of customers experiencing widespread issues such as low pressure or no water. To see how much water is being used across the region, visit our Water Latest webpage.
Can't you just produce more water?
At the start of the year, our storage of raw (untreated) water was good.
However, demand from May onwards has seen our raw water levels fall faster and earlier than usual. They have now reached a point where levels are so low, they have exceeded the limits in our drought plan, and will soon start to impact the environment. The amount of water we are allowed to take from our rivers is controlled by the Environment Agency.
What does this mean?
The temporary restrictions will mean that you will not be able to use hosepipes for watering your gardens, washing cars, windows and patios, or filling swimming and paddling pools.
When will this start?
We’re asking all customers to not use their hosepipes until further notice. Details of the restrictions will be published on this website and in local press in the week commencing 14 July. This will be enforced from 18 July.
When will restrictions be lifted?
We will continue to monitor the situation and will lift the restrictions when we’re satisfied that both customer demand and water supply levels are restored to a point where they are not breaching our Drought plan.
Simple changes to save water
There are lots of simple changes you can make to help save water, from making sure you're washing a full load to reusing your cooking water to water your plants.
What does the Temporary Use Ban (TUB) actually mean?
Simply, while the Temporary Use Ban (TUB), or hosepipe ban, is in place you must not use a hosepipe that is connected to your mains water supply.
The definition of a hosepipe is set out in the legislation, which allows us to introduce this ban.
A “hosepipe” means anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe. This means garden sprinklers and most irrigation systems connected to the mains water supply are all considered to be hosepipes, together with anything attached to them like pressure washers.
There are some pre-approved exemptions for certain people or activities – meaning hosepipes can be used in specific circumstances.
You can only use a hosepipe when:
- It is required for unavoidable health and safety reasons, such as removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety or preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents or disease.
- The welfare and/or health and safety of animals (including fish) would otherwise be affected.
- It is not connected to mains water, such as using a water butt or other recycled water system.
- You are unable to, or may find it hard to, make adaptations and are registered with our Priority Services Register. You can find out more information about this and sign up at www.southeastwater.co.uk/psr.
Customers do not need to apply for an exemption. However, we may question your use of an exemption if we receive reports of hosepipe usage.
Prosecution is a last resort for us, but anyone who doesn’t follow the Temporary Use Ban may be fined, on conviction, up to £1,000.
Whilst the Temporary Use Ban is in place, you must not
Water a garden using a hosepipe
A “garden” is a private or public garden, a lawn, a park; a grass verge; an area of grass used for sport or recreation; an allotment used for non-commercial purposes; and any other green space.
A garden is not:
- agricultural land,
- land used in the course of a business for growing any crops, fruits, vegetables or other plants for sale or commercial use;
- land used for National Plant Collection;
- a temporary garden or flower display (i.e. on show to the public for no more than 7 days); or
- Plants that are either in the ground or in a pot and are under cover (under cover being in a greenhouse, outbuilding or a permanent canopy).
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to water your garden if:
- using a hosepipe to water an area of grass or outdoor artificial surfaces used for sport or recreation (on the active strip/ playing area only – not the whole grounds) when undertaken outside of daily peak hours that occur 8am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm.
- drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist; a fixed watering system; use of watering cans and not hoses
- watering of new lawns at domestic premises, where this cannot reasonably be undertaken with a watering can and the turf was laid before the on set of the ban, for a period of 4 weeks after being laid and when undertaken outside of daily peak hours that occur 8am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm.
- Watering trees, whips, saplings and hedging planted before the ban, in the last planting year, where this cannot be reasonably done by way of a watering can.
- Water food crops at domestic premises or private allotments, where this cannot be reasonably done by watering can.
Clean a private motor-vehicle (or a trailer for such a vehicle) using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe for cleaning a private car, van, trailer or any other motor vehicle.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to clean a motor-vehicle if:
- the cleaning is done as a service to customers in the course of a business or to clean public service or goods vehicles
- Private motor vehicle does not mean taxis or goods vehicles or commercial vehicles
Water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to water plants in your home or garden or any other non-commercial premises.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to water plants if:
- you are watering plants (crops, vegetables or fruit) that are grown or kept for sale or commercial use, National Plant Collections or temporary garden or flower displays;
- you are using drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure-reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface runoff or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist; a fixed watering system; use of watering cans and not hoses
Clean a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to clean a private leisure boat.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to clean a private boat if:
- this is done as a service to customers in the course of a business or to clean public service or goods vehicles
- this will not apply to the inside of your boat.
Fill or maintain a domestic swimming or paddling pool (including constructed and non-inflatable hot tubs)
You must not use a hosepipe to maintain or fill any domestic swimming or paddling pool.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to fill or maintain a swimming or paddling pool if:
- you do this with a water conservation recycling system or hand held container
- you are filling or maintaining a permanent swimming pool where necessary in the course of its construction or where it is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of medical treatment
- the pool is within places of worship or community pools and when they are used as part of a religious ceremony.
Draw water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use (such as hot tubs of all kinds and inflatable paddling pools)
You must not use a hosepipe to draw water for domestic recreational use.
No exemptions
Fill or maintain a domestic pond (manmade or natural) using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to fill or maintain a domestic pond.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to fill or maintain a pond if:
- it is for the welfare of the fish or aquatic animals in the pond
Fill or maintain an ornamental fountain (including a cascade or any other display of moving water, and includes filling by permanent plumbing)
You must not use a hosepipe to fill or maintain a water fountain.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to fill or maintain a water fountain if:
- it is used as part of recognised religious practices
Clean walls, or windows, of domestic premises, using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to clean the walls or windows of a domestic property.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to clean walls or windows of a domestic property if:
- This is done as a service to customers in the course of a business or to clean public service or goods vehicles
Clean paths or patios using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to clean paths or patios.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to clean paths or patios if:
- This is done as a service to customers in the course of a business or to clean public service or goods vehicles
Clean other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe
You must not use a hosepipe to clean artificial outdoor surfaces.
Exemptions - you may use a hosepipe to clean artificial outdoor surfaces if:
- This is done as a service to customers in the course of a business or to clean public service or goods vehicles
Check if you live in an area with a hosepipe ban
If you're unsure whether you live in an area with a hosepipe ban, pop your postcode into the form below.
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