UK Hosepipe Ban 2026: The Areas Affected and What You Can and Cannot Do

Millions more people across England woke up under a hosepipe ban this month, as a record-breaking June heatwave pushed water companies to bring in restrictions. If you’re trying to work out whether it applies to you — and what you’re actually still allowed to do — here’s the clear version.

The single most useful thing to know first: a hosepipe ban bans the hosepipe, not the task. You can still water your garden or wash your car with a watering can, a bucket, or rainwater from a water butt. And you should check your own water supplier, because the bans are company-by-company and the map is changing every few days. This is correct as of 11 July 2026.

Which areas are affected?

Three formal bans — officially “Temporary Use Bans” — are in force now, and two more start on 17 July. They cover different companies and different areas, so find yours:

That’s roughly 6.85 million people under a ban right now, rising toward 11 million once Cambridge and Affinity join on 17 July. Anglian’s ban — its first since 2012 — is what makes it “millions more” this week.

A few boundaries people get wrong: South East Water’s ban is Kent only, Southern Water’s is Hampshire and the Isle of Wight only (Sussex is excluded), Anglian’s covers the East of England except Hartlepool, and Cambridge Water is a separate company from Anglian — so Cambridge city isn’t under Anglian’s ban.

Who is not banning hosepipes

• Thames Water — no ban. It is asking its ~15 million London and Thames Valley customers to cut back after a demand surge, but that’s a voluntary appeal, not a Temporary Use Ban.
• Yorkshire Water — no 2026 ban. If you’ve seen “Yorkshire hosepipe ban from 11 July,” that’s recycled coverage of the 2025 ban, which was lifted in December 2025; Yorkshire’s reservoirs are healthier than a year ago.
• Severn Trent and most other suppliers have made no formal ban, though several are urging restraint.

What you cannot do under a hosepipe ban

Every ban is built on the same legal list of restricted uses (the Water Industry Act 1991). While a ban is in force, you must not use a hosepipe, sprinkler or pressure washer connected to the mains to:

• Water a garden, lawn or plants
• Wash a private car, van, caravan or boat
• Fill or top up a swimming pool, paddling pool or hot tub
• Fill or top up a domestic pond or ornamental fountain
• Clean walls, windows, patios, paths or driveways
• Clean the outside of your home

What you can still do

This is where most people get it wrong. The ban is on the method, not the activity, so all of these are still allowed:

• Use a watering can or bucket for anything on the banned list — including watering the garden and washing the car.
• Use rainwater from a water butt, or reused “grey” water. (South East Water even allows a hosepipe if it’s fed from a water butt rather than the mains.)
• Use drip or trickle irrigation that delivers water straight to the soil, not a handheld hose or spray — though this one varies by company: Anglian, for example, restricts automatic mains-fed systems unless they meet specific conditions, so check yours.
• Water for health, safety or animal welfare, and top up ponds where fish welfare requires it.
• Businesses can still use a hosepipe where it’s genuinely part of the trade — car washes and window cleaners keep working.

Exemptions

You don’t have to apply for most of these, but the details vary by company, so check yours:

• Disabled and vulnerable customers. Southern Water specifically exempts customers on its Priority Services Register or WaterSure scheme, including Blue Badge holders. South East Water and Anglian grant exemptions through their Priority Services Registers too — so if you rely on water for a medical need, register with your supplier.
• Newly-laid turf and new plants. The details differ: South East Water allows watering new turf for four weeks but not between 8–10am or 5–9pm; Anglian allows the same 28-day window but with no peak-hour restriction. Southern hasn’t published a turf exemption.
• Drip irrigation, blue-badge and business exemptions as above.

What’s the fine?

Breaking a Temporary Use Ban is a criminal offence under section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, carrying a fine of up to £1,000 (a magistrates’ court fine paid to the Treasury, not to the water company).

In practice, companies say they focus on educating customers and rely on neighbours reporting breaches; prosecutions are reserved for serious or repeated offenders. But the £1,000 maximum is real, so it’s not worth the risk of running a sprinkler.

Why now? The heat and the water shortage

The trigger was an exceptional June. The Met Office recorded a provisional 37.3°C at Santon Downham in Suffolk on 26 June 2026 — which, once verified, would be the hottest June day ever recorded in England, beating the previous June record of 35.6°C, last equalled in 1976. It capped an unusually dry spring, leaving rivers and groundwater low across the south and east.

One nuance worth keeping straight: this is not, officially, a national drought. The Environment Agency has placed parts of East Anglia in the lower “prolonged dry weather” category, and some companies have declared their own internal drought levels for specific zones — but a hosepipe ban is a company decision that doesn’t require a formal drought declaration. With the dry outlook continuing, more suppliers could follow, and Thames Water could still escalate from an appeal to a formal ban — but that isn’t confirmed.

How to check if you’re affected

The bans follow water-supply areas, not neat county lines, and your water supplier can be different from the company that handles your sewerage or bills. So:

• Use your water company’s own postcode or supply-area checker — every affected company has one.
• Watch the edge cases above: Kent-only, Sussex excluded, Hartlepool excluded, and Cambridge Water being separate from Anglian.
• Because the picture is moving — two more bans start on 17 July, and the record is still being verified — treat any list, including this one, as a snapshot and confirm the live position with your supplier.

Is there a hosepipe ban in my area right now?

As of 11 July 2026, yes if you’re a customer of South East Water in Kent, Southern Water in Hampshire or the Isle of Wight, or Anglian Water in the East of England. Cambridge Water and Affinity Water customers come under a ban from 17 July. Everywhere else, there is no formal ban — though several companies are asking people to save water.

Can I still water my garden during a hosepipe ban?

Yes — just not with a hosepipe or sprinkler on the mains. A watering can, a bucket, or rainwater from a water butt is all still allowed, and drip irrigation is generally permitted, though rules on automatic mains-fed systems vary by company.

Does the Yorkshire hosepipe ban still apply?

No. Yorkshire Water’s ban was a 2025 restriction that was lifted in December 2025. There is no Yorkshire hosepipe ban in 2026; stories dated “from 11 July” are recycling last year’s coverage.

How much is the fine for breaking a hosepipe ban?

Up to £1,000, as a criminal fine under the Water Industry Act 1991. Companies generally warn first and prosecute only serious or repeated breaches.

More on the weather behind it: our UK July heatwave forecast and how to cool a room without air conditioning.