As the UK swelters under an unrelenting heatwave, millions face the prospect of a hosepipe ban.
Millions more Brits placed under hosepipe ban (Image: Getty)
Millions of British households are likely to be put under a hosepipe ban as scorching temperatures wreak havoc across the country. It comes as several parts of the country have been experiencing a heatwave with the Met Office predicting that mercury levels are set to soar to 34C.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber and yellow Heat Health Alerts covering the whole of England, valid until Monday (July 14). As hot temperatures are expected to persist through July, water suppliers across the UK are closely tracking reservoir levels, with further hosepipe restrictions potentially being introduced in additional regions. A hosepipe ban means households are not allowed to use a hosepipe to water gardens and plants, clean vehicles, fill swimming pools or ponds or clean paths, walls or windows. Customers who ignore the bans could face fines of up to £1,000. Search for your local area in our interactive map below to see if you are subject to a hosepipe ban:
Earlier this week, Yorkshire Water confirmed that a hosepipe ban would take effect today (July 11), cautioning the restrictions could remain in place for several months. Meanwhile, South East Water has now implemented a hosepipe ban for customers in Kent and Sussex.
In addition, the company is urging residents in certain parts of Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire to limit water usage during peak times—particularly in the mornings and evenings.
Dave Kay, director of water for Yorkshire Water, said: “We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid having to put (the ban) in place.
“Our region experienced an extremely dry spring, which resulted in the region entering drought status in June. Usually, spring is a time when our groundwater sources and reservoirs continue to be topped-up by changeable weather, but this has not been the case in 2025, with our reservoir stocks falling since the last week of January.”
A ban means households are not allowed to use a hosepipe to water gardens and plants, clean vehicles (Image: Getty)
South East water said: “With the ongoing dry weather and 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. Met Office reports show this has been the driest spring in the region since 1893.
“Demand for water has increased to the highest levels we have ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres on 30 June 2025. This is 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer.
“On days like this, we’re pumping enough water to supply an additional 4 towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.
“We’ve tried everything possible to avoid these restrictions. Despite your help to save water, and our ongoing efforts to manage our water resources, including launching a comprehensive strategy to find and tackle leaks, our reservoir and underground water storage levels are really low.”
