South East Water announces temporary use ban for Kent

South East Water announced a temporary use ban in Kent on 25 June 2026, and it came into force from 00:01 on 3 July 2026¹. The company said the restriction applies to all customers it supplies drinking water, including customers of Last Mile Water, Leaf Water and Independent Water Networks (IWNL)¹.

The company said lower than average rainfall, continued hot weather and high demand had led to a decline in river levels, a need to protect some groundwater sources, and demand outstripping supply¹. It said demand for water entering its network peaked at 687 million litres a day on Wednesday 24 June 2026 and had consistently stayed within its red alert level¹. It also said March to June saw just half of the normal rainfall, and that in Kent it is the capacity to treat and pump water that prompted the move¹.

The ban was announced separately for other areas. South East Water said it announced a temporary use ban in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire on 20 July 2026, in force from 00:01 on 25 July 2026¹. It said it has hosepipe restrictions across all its supply areas¹.

Source: South East Water¹

On enforcement, the company cited the Water Industry Act section 76(1) and the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 as providing for the prohibition of one or more uses of water during times of serious water shortage¹. It said that if a customer contravenes the prohibition it is an offence and, if convicted, the customer could face a fine of up to £1,000 under section 76(5)¹. It said the notice and consultation period required under the Act determined the timeline between announcement and enforcement¹.

The company said customers on its Priority Service Register who cannot make adjustments under the restrictions are exempt, and that anyone unsure of their status can contact it on 0800 952 4000¹. It said exemption applications are taken on 0300 000 0001, with a letter from a doctor, or from a vet for animals, required as evidence of medical need before an exemption is granted¹. It said it is granting exemptions to many types of hosepipe use done in service to customers as a business, such as car washes and window cleaners, and that commercial agricultural activities are not affected by the ban, though the prohibited uses apply in the home and garden¹. It said a hosepipe can be used from a private borehole, artificial lake or well, and where use is unavoidable for health and safety or welfare, or for the welfare of aquatic animals including fish¹.

Why it matters for households

The restriction covers households in Kent from 3 July 2026 and households in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from 25 July 2026, on the company's account¹. South East Water said the ban will likely continue until water demand has reduced to manageable levels, water resources are back to normal and there is no further risk of supply interruptions across the network throughout the summer, and that it will keep the position under constant review¹. It said it will announce a lifting of the ban through newspaper notices, social media, emails to customers, letters to MPs and councillors, staff briefings, its webpage and the media¹. The company asked customers to avoid using hosepipes and sprinklers until further notice¹. Current restrictions across England are set out in the guide to England's 2026 drought, with background in the heatwaves and drought section.

What happens next

South East Water said it will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate directly with affected customers should the status of any exempt groups change¹. It said it has repaired over 21,000 leaks on its network over the last year, compared with 18,200 in the previous years, and aims to fix 90 per cent of leaks within 48 hours of them being reported¹. It said a new water treatment works in Maidstone opened recently, additional pipes will be installed across Kent, and a new surface reservoir at Broad Oak near Canterbury is planned to be operational by the late 2030s¹.