Temporary Use Ban FAQ

We have:

• Published notice of the temporary use ban in Kent Messenger and Sussex Express on (Date)
• Sent a news release to local and regional newspapers and newspaper groups within our supply area, together with the national press on 11 July 2025
• Promoted message via our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
• Emailed all customers and/or texting them with information and a link to our website
• Advised the water retailers, although at this stage businesses are not affected we would ask everyone to find ways to help reduce the demand for water
• Written to the MP’s and councillors representing the communities we serve.
• Briefed our staff about the ban so they can let customers who contact us know.
• Created a dedicated website page www.southeastwater.co.uk/tubs to host useful information for customers and other water users.

A temporary ban is necessary because:

• In the South east we have experienced a prolonged period of dry and warm weather through the Spring.
• Met Office reports show this has been the driest spring in the region since 1893.
• This combination of heat and sunshine, coupled with very low rainfall, has created challenging conditions across much of the country for agriculture and water resources.
• Demand for water has increased to the highest levels we have ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres of water on 30 June 2025.
• On some days, we’ve been producing in the region of an extra 120 million litres of water a day - equivalent to supplying four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne – the demand for water has broken all previous records, including during the Covid lockdown heatwave periods.
• 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 they have exceeded the limits in our drought plan and will soon start to impact the environment.
• Unfortunately with very low levels of rainfall, we’re concerned of the impact that further abstraction will have on the environment. We’re taking this action now to prevent these stocks decreasing further ahead of the rains in the autumn and winter.
• Despite asking for voluntary restraint, demand for water has remained high. We have to take action to ensure that there is drinking water available for all, including for our vulnerable customers and for essential uses.

The combination of factors already experienced so far are extraordinary, and in line with those experienced in Summer 2023. We have been communicating directly with our customers in affected areas to ask for voluntary restraint, but despite this have seen record amounts of treated water being demanded across our network.

The average amount of water entering our network on a daily basis is 543 Ml/D – in June this peaked at 680 Ml/D and has consistently stayed within our red level alert level.

The temporary use ban is being implemented in South East Water supply areas in Kent & Sussex. It is not being implemented in our supply area in the West, where we serve customers in Berkshire & Hampshire.

Some exemptions to the temporary use ban do exist, and details of those can be found on our website; www.southeastwater.co.uk/tubs

Whilst demand in our supply areas in Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey has also increased considerably, we have not suffered from the same water supply issues as experienced in Kent and Sussex.

For the time being, we are in a position that we can continue to ask our customers to apply voluntary restraint on the amount of water they use at home. We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will advise customers if circumstances change.

It is likely that it will continue until we are confident that the demand for water has reduced back to manageable levels.

We will keep the position under constant review. This really is just a temporary measure to help us in these very unusual circumstances.

We will publish a notice in newspapers, email and text customers and place a message on our website and let media organisations know.

It may be necessary to reinstate the temporary use ban again later in the summer if very high temperatures and no rain are experienced again.

We are seeing the impact of accelerated climate change, with hotter and drier summers which is increasing the demand for drinking water in the south east.

To overcome this change in water usage, through our PR24 Business Plan, we are planning to increase the amount of drinking water stored in our network, and to increase connectivity, so that we can move water around to where it is needed more easily.

Where we can, new water sources are being introduced, however overall we will all need to reduce the amount of water we use. We expect these changes, once implemented, will reduce the risk of temporary use bans in the future.

We have increased our water storage capacities with refurbished storage tanks in Aylesford amongst other engineering schemes we have worked on.

More information on our engineering schemes can be found by visiting here.

The South East has experienced a prolonged period of dry weather, meaning that we’re pumping much more drinking water to customer taps than normal. This, coupled with the high temperatures experienced in recent weeks has seen demand for treated water reach record levels. Met Office reports show this has been the driest spring in the region since 1893.

This combination of heat and sunshine, coupled with very low rainfall, has created challenging conditions across much of the country for agriculture and water resources.

Typically we supply 543 million litres of water a day, which increases in the summer. However with low levels of rainfall and higher temperatures we have seen demand increase, peaking at 680 million litres of water on 30 June, This is a phenomenal 105 million litres of extra water to supply.

Stocks of both raw water - the water we store in underground aquifers and surface reservoirs, and drinking water have reduced to very low levels. There is a significant risk that without intervention now, customers may experience 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.

We have every available Water Treatment Works and water source, open and running fully, but we are still unable to keep up with demand.

We’re also really keen to plan for the future. Every five years we update our water resources management plan (WRMP) which looks at how we’ll keep your taps running while striking that delicate balance between protecting the environment and keeping bills affordable. Normally we look 25 years into the future, but because the south east faces a number of unique challenges we’ve looked 60 years ahead to 2080. By doing this we can make sure the work we do now lays the best foundation for future generations. You can find out more by visiting here.

Unfortunately this is a myth, and whilst it might feel like it is rainy here in England, it’s simply not. The South East is described by the Environment Agency as “seriously water-stressed,” which means all the available places for us to take water from the environment in our region are already in use.

But this situation is very different from normal periods of dry weather. What we are seeing is extremely high demand for water – we have been pumping up to an additional 105 million litres of water extra to keep up with customer demand.

There are many factors that affect leakage, but the three main drivers are:

1. Natural wear and tear on our network.

There are six million joints which have to withstand high pressure 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Inevitably sometimes these pipes and joints fail unexpectedly, but we work around the clock to repair them as quickly as possible.

2. The seasons.

In typical weather conditions, the colder winter months increase leakage due to pipes shrinking, causing the joints between them to open up. Equally, warmer temperatures can undo this effect to reduce leakage. This is expected to even out during the year but leads to peaks and troughs in leakage levels.

3. Extreme weather events.

These can impact leakage over and above the typical seasonal rise and fall. A freeze followed by a rapid thaw can over-stress pipes, causing them to burst. Similarly, prolonged hot dry periods can shrink the earth that supports pipes, causing them to move and break.

Over the last year we have repaired over 18,000 leaks on our network - an increase of 12 per cent on the three-year average - and repaired over 6,000 customer-side leaks.

We have implemented a leakage recovery strategy and as part of that, increased the number of staff out finding and fixing leaks, whilst investing in new leak detection technology, and new systems to improve the visibility of our pipeline network. We work with industry-leading specialists in leakage identification and management to continually improve our data for better leak repair and prioritisation.

To make sure we continue to beat and improve our leakage targets we'll be investing millions over the next two years and have ambitious plans to halve the amount of leakage by 2050 to 44 million litres a day.

We have 70 teams repairing leaks reactively and 86 leakage technicians and analysts searching for and finding leaks proactively. That’s more teams out finding and fixing leaks than ever before.

All of our operational teams contribute to the repair of leaks. Our Customer Services team who record reports of leakage from our customers and the general public, the Technicians who find leaks and investigate leak reports, the work schedulers who ensure we respond asap and the repair gangs who undertake the excavation and fixing of leaks. There is a vast number of people across the company who work, each and every day, on finding and fixing leaks.

There are many different ways of finding leaks. There are those reported to us by our customers, those we find by known and trusted methods such as ‘sounding’ (listening for ‘noise’ on pipes) those we find through the use of technology (correlators, meters) and those we find by monitoring and reviewing information from our systems which inform us of areas where water use is higher than we would expect.

We’re always looking at innovative ideas to identify and repair leaks, and are trialling the use of Smart networks, satellite technology and Hive leak alerts to help us detect leaks quicker.

We are doing everything we can to keep up with the demand for water.

We are moving water around our network to help transfer from areas with more water to those with less.

We are focussed on ensuring our water treatment works continue to work well and our technicians are working around the clock to treat as much water as possible overnight so we are ready each morning.

If everyone helps just by avoiding using hosepipes and sprinklers until further notice we will be in a good position.

This will include activities that need to be done using a hosepipe to ensure that you are removing or minimising the risk to human or animal health or safety, or preventing the spread of controlling disease. But this should only be where it cannot be done by means other than with a hosepipe.

Using a hosepipe where the welfare and/or health and safety of animals, including fish, is paramount will not be restricted – therefore their drinking or living requirements will not be affected, and you can continue to use a hosepipe for these purposes.

For those customers who cannot make adaptations and meet certain classifications from our Priority Services Register, then you are exempt from the ban, and you are allowed to use a hosepipe at your domestic property and in an allotment for which you are the registered tenant.

Customers who are frail but do not hold one should contact us so we can review them on a case-by-case basis.

Although exempt, we would ask if you can wait until cooler weather and demand for water reduces for any water use that isn’t really necessary. That would really help.

No. The bill you pay is for water supplied for drinking, cooking, washing and sanitation purposes. We have to plan on the basis that we may have to impose restrictions during long periods of very dry weather or drought, which means that the bills you pay already reflect the potential for restrictions. If your bill includes an additional charge for a use covered by the ban, please let us know so we can give an appropriate allowance.

We are in exceptional circumstances due to the high temperatures and unprecedented levels of demand. Demand for water is very high, and we are now at the point where we really need to ask every one of our customers to do as much as they can to reduce the amount of water they use. Your bill pays for the provision of clean, safe water.

We are not asking you to stop using water, but only to use it for essential purposes to avoid waste. As you are using your water, then you are liable to pay for it. If you choose not to pay your bill at all, we will, unfortunately continue with our debt recovery process.

You may water your garden with tap water by hand, using a bucket, or with a watering can.

You may also water your garden using greywater (i.e. from showers) or rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe.

You might consider investing in drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure-reducing valve and a timer that is 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.

These devices are not prohibited under the Temporary Use Ban because they are very water efficient. If you cannot make adaptations and meet certain classifications from our Priority Services Register, you will be able to water an allotment, a garden attached to a domestic dwelling or water plants on domestic premises using a hosepipe.

However, we would ask that you keep such watering to a minimum right now and also do this outside of peak demand times and also not during the heat of the day when the water will evaporate too quickly before it has had time to seep into the soil.

The restrictions do not cover commercial buildings: a hosepipe can still be used by commercial organisations for, on or in commercial buildings.

Where this is within a domestic property, the whole property needs to be let and not just a room within the domestic property. Where the accommodation is not formally registered as a business, i.e. the property owner pays council tax, not business rates, any garden associated with the accommodation is classed as a domestic garden and falls under the TUB restrictions.

You may use a hosepipe to water newly laid turf in domestic gardens, where this cannot reasonably be undertaken with a watering can and the turf was laid before the onset 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.

In order to do so you must be able to provide evidence of the date on which the gardening work was completed. Failure to do so and watering for longer than 4 weeks will be considered a breach of the conditions of the temporary use ban.

However, we would ask if possible to wait for cooler weather to lay new turf when we expect to see demand for water reduce.

A hosepipe can be used to water standard trees, whips, saplings and hedging planted within a three-year window of the imposition of the TUB (i.e. within the last three years of the start of a TUB), where this cannot be hand-watered or watered with non-potable water.

Standard trees in urban settings (such as streets) are not covered by the Temporary Use Ban as they do not fall within the definition of being in an area classed as a “garden”, or “domestic or other non-commercial premises” and therefore you can continue to water them with a hosepipe.

This is defined as a pool with a permanent filter system which allows continuous circulation of the water, and no regular discharge is necessary to maintain water quality.

The only discharge allowed is backwashing to clean filters as part of regular maintenance.

Backwashing of filters should be done no more than once a week and for no more than a few minutes at a time.

However, you cannot use a hose to top up the swimming pool.

You can still wash your car(s) by hand, using water from a bucket or with a hosepipe which is connected to a rainwater or grey water source (e.g. bathwater or rainwater collected in a water butt).

Although you cannot use a hose connected to a mains supply, we would still encourage you to keep your lights and windows clean for safety reasons.

Commercial car washes are still able to operate under these restrictions.

If you are on our Priority Service Register for medical reasons such as physical disability, then you are exempt from the ban, and you are allowed to use a hosepipe for your plants and gardens on your own domestic property and in an allotment for which you are the registered tenant.

Although exempt, we would ask if you can wait until cooler weather and demand for water reduces for any water use that isn’t really necessary. That would really help.

A Temporary Use Ban prohibits using a hosepipe to clean patios, unless it is for unavoidable health and safety reasons, although business customers who clean paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces as part of a service are exempt.

Although exempt, we would ask if you can wait until cooler weather and demand for water reduces for any water use that isn’t really necessary.

That would really help.

You must not use a hosepipe to maintain or fill domestic swimming or paddling pools (including constructed, non-inflatable hot tubs and swim spas).

Drawing water using a hosepipe, for any recreational purpose, which includes for all kinds of hot tubs is also restricted, and you must not use a hosepipe for this purpose.

There are some exemptions, please see our temporary use ban page(opens in a new tab).

A Temporary Use Ban prohibits using a hosepipe to clean outdoor furniture, unless it is for unavoidable health and safety reasons, although business customers who clean furniture or other artificial outdoor surfaces as part of a service are exempt.

Although exempt, we would ask if you can wait until cooler weather and demand for water reduces for any water use that isn’t really necessary.

That would really help.

New lawns at domestic premises can be watered using a hosepipe, where this cannot reasonably be undertaken with a watering can and the turf was laid before the onset 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.

You must be able to provide evidence of the date of completion of works if we ask for it.

You may use a hosepipe to water 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, only.

We are conscious of the adverse effect the TUB has had on some of our commercial customers, and we wanted to alleviate that proportionally.

Yes, as a ‘garden’ is defined as an area of grass used for sport or recreation and watering a garden with a hosepipe is restricted. However, there is an exemption that allows you to use 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), for health and safety reasons, to protect the safety of the players. Watering should be undertaken outside of daily peak hours that occur 8 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 9 pm.

For golf courses, the active strip encompasses greens and tees but does not cover fairways. Therefore, a hosepipe should not be used to water fairways.

There is also an exemption if you use 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; or you use watering cans and not hoses.

Yes, any use of a hosepipe or sprinkler to water a garden is banned. A landscape gardener working on a private garden is not allowed to use a sprinkler or hosepipe if the water has been supplied by South East Water. Many landscape gardeners are able to give customers great advice on water-efficient gardening.

There are certain concessions for small businesses like window cleaners and car wash operators. If you run this kind of small business that is dependent on water for its main business function, please speak to us in more detail about how the restrictions affect you.

We are offering a concession for businesses specialising in hand car washing that use hosepipes as part of the process. If the situation becomes even more serious, we may need to remove this concession.

But customers visiting a car wash business will be under restrictions themselves and may ask questions about how it is that you are able to continue to operate.

During the ban, we would strongly recommend that you plan how you would deal with your customers during that time.

For example, if your car wash recycles water, we recommend you place a notice on site to state this for the benefit of your customers. If there are ways you could reduce your water use by minimising hosepipe use we would welcome this support.

No, provided you are using the water to clean windows as part of your commercial service.

Garden centres are not covered by the ban for the watering of plants but we would encourage the use of a watering can as an alternative where possible and to help set an example to customers.

Please note filling ornamental displays within the outlet is prohibited unless this is necessary to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in a pond to keep fish healthy. You can help promote water-efficient gardening methods to your customers and promote the purchase of water butts and water retaining gel granules, and other products.

Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming pool with a hosepipe is prohibited unless it is necessary as part of its construction, or for a particular health and safety purpose.

We have taken the view that for swimming pools, major refurbishment should be treated as equivalent to construction.

Major alterations to shape or size or to the immediate surroundings of the pool, repairs of significant leaks or the installation of a completely new liner would qualify in this category.

Minor repairs, such as the replacement of tiles, would not qualify. Ideally, water from the pool to be refurbished or repaired should be retained in a temporary structure.

No. The ban prohibits filling all domestic swimming pools, except where necessary in the course of construction, or using a container filled directly from a tap or the pool has water conservation.

Although we would ask everyone to do all they can to help us conserve supplies, if you don’t have to top your pool up, we would really appreciate your efforts.

Washing and watering livestock or pets is not prohibited under the Temporary Use Ban, but we ask that you use water sparingly when doing so.

No - this is covered under the 'garden' section of the ban.

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.

The only exemptions are 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. 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.