Drought and heatwave brought hosepipe ban to Surrey

Surrey County Council has recorded that drought combined with a heatwave across Surrey in summer 2022 led to households being asked to use water carefully, with most of the county also under a hosepipe ban. The council sets out the events of that summer in its published overview of key risks in Surrey, drawn from the county's Community Risk Register.

The same overview places the 2022 heatwave alongside other periods of severe weather that have disrupted daily life in the county, including the very cold weather in 2018 and Storm Eunice and Franklin in 2022. It states that severe weather, including storms, heatwaves, low temperatures and heavy snow, can cause significant disruption to normal life, with common issues including road and travel disruption, damage and disruption to basic utilities, and damage to property. It adds that hot and cold weather can have a significant impact on people's health, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.

The council's account of the drought is brief and gives no figures for the number of households affected, the dates the ban began or ended, or the water company that imposed it. Those details have not been reported in the overview.

The overview also records that Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has battled numerous wildfires in recent years, such as the one on Thursley Common in 2021, and that such fires often begin through human behaviour, with litter such as glass or reflective crisp packets able to ignite dry foliage, as can bonfires and disposable barbecues. It states that 2013 to 2014 saw large areas of the county underwater, and that each year too many homes are devastated by floodwater.

Why it matters for households

The council's summary confirms that a temporary hosepipe ban covered most of Surrey during the 2022 drought, so households in the county may again face restrictions on water use in future dry spells. The overview does not set out the rules of that ban or the conditions attached to it. It records that the county's emergency planning partners monitor weather forecasts regularly and share notifications of severe weather with residents, and it advises residents to sign up for Met Office weather warnings and to follow warnings and advice issued ahead of and during severe weather.

On utilities, the council states that sudden loss of water, gas, electricity or telecommunications is likely to be caused by adverse weather or damage to infrastructure, and can last a few minutes or much longer, leaving households unable to heat their home, run essential medical equipment or access clean water. It advises households with young or vulnerable people to sign up to the Priority Services Register for each utility provider, to keep a physical copy of key telephone numbers and insurance details, and to consider what might be helpful to have available if a supply is lost, such as bottled water or a charged battery pack for mobile phones. It also advises residents to look out for vulnerable neighbours and let them know if severe weather is approaching.

What happens next

The overview gives no dated next steps for the 2022 drought or for any future water restrictions. It directs residents to the Environment Agency to sign up for free flood warnings, to the Met Office for weather warnings, and to local Flood Action Groups where an area is known to flood. Households can read more on how temporary use bans work, what can and cannot be done during a ban, watering the garden, allotment and new lawn, paddling pools, ponds and car washing and the water shortage and hosepipe ban checklist. Background on the 2022 drought sits in past UK droughts and heatwaves, with wider context in why UK summers are getting hotter and drier and the heatwaves and drought household guide.