South East Water hosepipe ban starts for Kent customers

South East Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) for its customers in Kent from 00:01 on Friday 3 July 2026¹. The company said the restrictions followed lower than average rainfall, continued hot weather and high demand, which had led to a decline in river levels and the need to protect some groundwater sources¹. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) reported that ten water companies were operating temporary use bans as of Monday, 14 September, to reduce demand for water, which rose significantly during repeated heatwaves and prolonged dry weather over the summer².

The Kent start date was the earliest of the restrictions listed by CCW. South East Water's customers in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire came under restrictions from 00:01 on Saturday 25 July 2026¹. The CCW list gives the following start dates for other companies²:

South East Water said a hosepipe means anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe, so garden sprinklers and irrigation systems connected to the mains supply, and anything attached to them such as pressure washers, are treated as hosepipes¹. The restrictions mean customers should not use hosepipes for watering gardens, washing cars, patios and boats, or for filling swimming and paddling pools¹. CCW noted that a hosepipe can use as much as 1,000 litres of water an hour².

South East Water later tightened its rules in Sussex. From 9 October 2026, previously permitted exemptions there were removed, and customers in Sussex can use a hosepipe only where it is required for health, safety or welfare purposes¹. On 15 October the Environment Agency declared Severe Drought in parts of Sussex following prolonged dry weather and exceptionally low water levels¹. The company said it had not had to place Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire in temporary restrictions in 14 years, since 2012¹.

Why it matters for households

Households supplied by South East Water in Kent have been subject to the ban since 3 July 2026, and those in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire since 25 July 2026¹. The company states that customers it supplies must follow the restrictions, and that anyone unsure of their supplier can check by postcode through the industry body Water UK¹. For Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire customers, exemptions apply to two groups: customers on the company's Priority Services Register who are unable to make reasonable adjustments, and customers who need a hosepipe for other reasons including animal welfare and business needs¹. The register covers categories including blindness, chronic or serious illness, dementia, dialysis, partial sight, physical impairment and restricted hand movement¹. The company lists activities already exempt, including health and safety, animal welfare, business need, recycled water use, new lawns, trickling irrigation systems, commercial watering, new swimming pools and religious practice¹. Use of a hosepipe connected to a water butt or other recycled water storage system is not restricted¹. The company said its absolute priority is making sure there is always enough water for everyone's essential daily needs: drinking, cooking and hygiene¹.

What happens next

South East Water said its teams continue to take action to protect water supplies and asked customers to continue following the restrictions and using water wisely¹. The company said it is fixing more leaks, exploring options including a second reservoir near Arlington, working with farmers and landowners on rivers and groundwater in the Thames, Ouse and Cuckmere catchment areas, running every available water treatment works at full capacity and moving water around its network¹. No end date for the restrictions has been reported.

Households wanting detail on what the rules permit can read what you can and cannot do in a hosepipe ban, watering the garden, allotment and new lawn in a hosepipe ban and paddling pools, ponds and car washing during a hosepipe ban. Background on how temporary use bans work is in hosepipe bans: how temporary use bans work, and a water shortage and hosepipe ban checklist sets out household preparations. The wider picture is covered in England's 2026 drought: where restrictions apply and the heatwaves and drought hub.