Record June heat drives record water demand and hosepipe ban

South East Water introduced a hosepipe ban for its customers in Kent and Sussex after June 2023, the hottest June on record, drove demand for water to record levels. The company set out its account of the decision in a questions and answers notice published on 14 July 2023¹.

The company said demand rose so quickly that treating and supplying enough water to meet it became difficult. It said it had been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day, which it described as equivalent to supplying four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, and that the ban was helping to reduce demand to more manageable levels¹. It said the ban was in place because of high demand for clean water rather than low reservoir levels, and that it kept the position under constant review¹.

On leakage, the company said its leakage was about 18 per cent, lower than the industry average, with one-third happening on customers' pipes and two-thirds on its own network. It said it had met its leakage targets for 15 of the last 16 years, that its network of 9,000 miles of pipes has over 6 million joins, and that 52 teams work reactively to fix leaks with 60 technicians proactively seeking them out¹. It said it was committed to investing £489 million in infrastructure improvements between 2020 and 2025, and that its next business plan cycle would include a new reservoir in Canterbury¹.

The company said it had seen a change in how people use water in traditional commuter towns in Kent and Sussex over the last three years, leading to an increase in demand of around 20 per cent. It said demand in its supply areas in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire had also increased considerably, but that it had not experienced the same supply issues there as in Kent and Sussex, and that it continued to monitor the situation¹.

The notice also set out what the restrictions allow. Watering plants in a greenhouse with a hosepipe is not permitted, because other restrictions cover watering plants on domestic or non-commercial premises¹. Gardens can be watered with rainwater from a water butt using a watering can or bucket, and greywater from showers or taps can also be used¹. Lawns laid before the ban can be watered for four weeks after they are laid, and by a watering can where that is reasonably possible¹. The company said filling a swimming pool with a hosepipe for one hour can use the same amount of water a whole family would use at home in two days¹.

Why it matters for households

The ban applies to South East Water's customers in Kent and Sussex, and the company said it remains in place while it reviews the position¹. Households in its Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire supply areas are not under the same restrictions, though the company said demand there has also risen considerably¹. The restrictions change how gardens, greenhouses, new lawns and pools can be watered or filled by hosepipe, with the exceptions set out above¹. The company's notice does not give an end date for the ban.

Households wanting to check what a ban covers can use the guide to how temporary use bans work, the water shortage and hosepipe ban checklist and the guide to watering the garden, allotment and new lawn in a hosepipe ban. The guide to hosepipe ban fines and how to report misuse covers enforcement, and how much water to drink in hot weather covers health in the heat. Background on why summers are changing is in why UK summers are getting hotter and drier, and the heatwaves and drought hub collects the related guides.

What happens next

South East Water said it keeps the position under constant review and looks at a number of indicators to decide whether the temporary use ban can be lifted, and that at the time of the notice the ban was in place¹. It said it would advise customers if circumstances change in its western region¹. No date for lifting the ban has been reported.