Kent hosepipe restrictions FAQs

We’re sorry, we know a price rise is never welcome, especially alongside other cost of living increases. To make sure we continue to invest in making your drinking water supply more reliable by reducing leaks and improving our network, we needed to increase investment and therefore prices.

The increase will mean we can invest £2.1bn over the next five years with goals to reduce customer supply interruptions, strengthen network resilience and improve customer service.

With the ongoing 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.

As of 25 June 2026, the South East is in the midst of the second heatwave of the year, after having experienced just 36 per cent of normal rainfall from March to May. Demand for water increased to the highest levels we have seen between 2022 and 2026, reaching 687 million litres on 24 June 2026. This is nearly 100 million litres of water a day more than the average for June.

Despite asking for customers' help to use water for essential purposes only, regrettably we’ve now been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary use ban restriction to protect customers supplies and the environment across Kent.

Being on a meter puts you in the valuable position that any water saving you make will mean that you will save money on your bills. We are asking our customers to be conscious of the water that may be wasted on a daily basis, for example, leaving the tap running while cleaning your teeth. The more you save, the more you should notice a difference in the bills you receive.

Yes. The restrictions apply to all customers supplied by us, in Kent.

There are some exemptions, which you can find here(opens in a new tab).

To find out if you are supplied by us, check here(opens in a new tab).

If you are on our Priority Service Register and cannot make adjustments under the restrictions, such as using a watering can instead of the hose, then you are exempt. This applies to your own domestic property and in an allotment for which you are the registered tenant.

You should have received a letter or email from us to tell you that you are exempt. If you didn’t or you want to check your status, please contact us on 0800 952 4000(opens in a new tab).

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.

If you’re not on the Priority Services Register, but think you need to be, you can register here.

Only customers who are on our Priority Service Register and cannot make adjustments under the restrictions, such as using a watering can instead of the hose, are exempt.

You can sign up to our Priority Services Register here.

All properties supplied by us in Kent are restricted unless exempt.

You can be exempt if you cannot make adjustments under the restrictions, such as using a watering can instead of the hose.

Individuals who meet the exemption criteria, can apply for an exemption even if they are supplied by a bulk supply.

The exemption would cover the resident(s) who meet the exemption criteria only.

To apply for an exemption, please call us on 0300 000 0001(opens in a new tab) to speak to our customer service team.

You are unable to apply for an exemption online if you are not the account holder of the bulk supply.

A newly laid lawn at a 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 28 days (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 three years, 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.

Watering a garden with a hosepipe is restricted. A ‘garden’ is defined as a public garden, a lawn, a park, a grass verge or an area of grass used for sport or recreation.

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—not the whole grounds—when undertaken outside of daily peak hours that occur 8am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm.

There is also an exemption if you use drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer. This must not be handheld, but 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.

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.

No. Businesses that clean private vehicles as a service to customers or to clean public service or goods vehicles are exempt.

If the situation becomes even more serious we may need to remove this exemption.

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 restrictions, 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, that would help.

Yes provided it is used in the course of a business/providing services or is a good vehicle.

Commercial watering of plants is not covered by the restrictions but we would encourage the use of a watering can, as an alternative where possible and to help set an example to customers.

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.

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.

Filling or maintaining of a domestic swimming pool with a hosepipe is restricted 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, subject to any space restrictions on site and depending on the suitability of the water being retained.

Where it is necessary for the water level in the pool to be maintained to a specific level, (i.e. to support safety covers and liners, and for filtration) we recommend that you and your customers do so using handheld containers such as buckets.

No. While the ban restricts the use of a hosepipe to fill or maintain all domestic swimming pools, there are exemptions:

• Where you do this with a water conservation recycling system or hand held container
• Where necessary to fill or maintain a permanent swimming pool during construction or where it is used for use medical treatment
• Where you fill a fixed structure from empty after construction or significant refurbishment. Once refilled a hosepipe cannot be used for any further filling, unless using a recycling system or by hand.
• When the pool is within places of worship or community pools and when they are used as part of a religious ceremony.

Yes where this is unavoidable for their health and safety or welfare.

We do ask that you try to use water as sparingly as possible when doing so.

No, watering a garden with a hosepipe is restricted. A ‘garden’ is defined as a 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.

However, the exemptions are:

• 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 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.