Hosepipe bans in England: ten companies, 30 million people, six reservoirs exceptionally low

The hosepipe restrictions introduced over the summer have not gone away in October. According to the Environment Agency's latest report, covering 25 September to 1 October, temporary use bans (TUBs) are in force at ten water companies and affect around 30 million people. The list has not changed since the previous week.

Who is affected

Affinity Water — Central and East regions, covering Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London and Essex. Anglian Water — the whole company area except Hartlepool. Bristol Water — whole area. Cambridge Water — whole area. Essex and Suffolk Water — whole area. Southern Water — Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. South East Water — whole area. South West Water — whole area except Bournemouth. Thames Water — whole area. Wessex Water — whole area.

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The report also lists NAVs for the first time — small companies that supply individual developments inside another company's area (Leaf Water, Albion Water, Leep Water, Independent Water Networks, Last Mile Water, MUA, ESP, Matrix). Their bans are the same and were introduced at the same time as the incumbent's. That matters if you live in a new-build: your bill may come from an unfamiliar name, but the restrictions still apply to you.

What is banned, and what is not

The list is closed and set out in section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991; a company cannot add to it. Eleven uses may be prohibited: watering a garden using a hosepipe; cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe; watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe; cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe; filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool; drawing water with a hosepipe for domestic recreational use; filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe; filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain; cleaning the walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe; cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe; cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe.

The operative words in almost every line are "using a hosepipe". A watering can or a bucket is not covered. You can wash the car with a bucket or take it to a car wash, and water the garden from a can or a water butt.

Each company has its own exemptions — for newly laid lawns, for disabled customers, or for those on the Priority Services Register. These differ, so check your own company's site.

The fine, and a little-known rule about money

Breaching a ban is an offence, punishable on summary conviction by a fine at level 3 on the standard scale — up to GBP 1,000.

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Less well known: the same law, section 76(6), requires a company that issues a ban to make arrangements for a reasonable reduction of the charges relating to the prohibited uses, including repayment or credit where charges were paid in advance. A ban is therefore not only a restriction but a formal basis for asking about a rebate.

How a TUB differs from the next step

A TUB applies to households. The next step is a non-essential use ban (NEUB), or drought order: it is granted by government rather than imposed by the company, and it reaches businesses — car washes, watering sports pitches, public fountains. South East Water, according to the Agency, is preparing to apply for an NEUB. Southern Water applied for a River Test drought order and a non-essential drought order back on 31 July; the Secretary of State's decision is still awaited.

The numbers behind it

September was the sixth month of 2026 with below-average rainfall: 65% of the long-term average across England. The regional spread is wide — 52% in the east, 57% in the south east, 59% in central England, 69% in the south west, while the north west almost reached normal at 99%.

Reservoir storage in England stands at 55%, which is 19.4% below average for the time of year; about 74.3% would be expected in early October. Sixteen reservoirs or reservoir groups are less than half full, and six are classed as exceptionally low: Ardingly (South East Water), Chew Valley (Bristol Water), Clatworthy (Wessex Water), the Dove Group (Severn Trent), Hanningfield (Essex and Suffolk Water) and Wimbleball (South West Water).

Ardingly in West Sussex was at 23% on 28 September — its lowest level on record for this time of year — and it serves 280,000 customers. Wimbleball in Somerset is at 21%. On 2 October the Agency granted South East Water a drought permit on the River Ouse, allowing less water to be left in the river at Barcombe Mills and cutting the compensation release into the Shell Brook tributary from four million litres a day to one. The permit runs for six months, until 29 March 2027. The Agency warned explicitly that the permit alone will not be enough to secure supply.

Which areas are officially in drought

Ten areas have drought status: East Anglia; Hertfordshire and North London; Thames; Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; West Midlands; Wessex; Kent and South London; Solent and South Downs; East Midlands; Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. Four are in prolonged dry weather status: the North East; Yorkshire; Cumbria and Lancashire; and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.

When this ends

Not soon. Agency analysis says 120% of typical rainfall is needed over seven months for the whole country to be out of drought by spring. Even on the most likely scenario, Devon and Cornwall and East Anglia will still be in drought at the start of April 2027. There is roughly a one-in-four chance that around half the country is still in drought next spring.

The Met Office outlook for October is for average rainfall and temperatures. A drought is over not when it rains but when rivers, groundwater and reservoirs are back to normal — and groundwater and reservoirs are still falling.

The next National Drought Group meeting is on 19 October, with an additional meeting before then.

What it means for your bill

For a metered household, water saved is money saved. For everyone else, a different rule matters more: if emergency drought restrictions leave you unable to drink, cook, wash or flush, the company must pay GBP 10 for each day or part day of interruption, capped at its average household bill for the previous year.

For how the water bill is built, when a meter pays off, who qualifies for a social tariff worth up to 90% off and what else you can claim back, see our separate guide to UK water bills.