South East Water has joined other water suppliers in implementing a hosepipe ban due to the current hot weather. The ban will affect 2.4 million customers in areas such as Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire starting from Saturday.
Customers are urged to immediately reduce their water consumption and refrain from using hosepipes for activities like gardening, car washing, or filling swimming pools. The ban was previously in effect only for customers in Kent.
Several other water companies, including Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, and Affinity Water, have also enforced restrictions due to low rainfall and high water demand. Greenpeace highlighted that water firms in England and Wales are losing significant amounts of water through leaky pipes.
South East Water explained that declining river levels and the need to protect groundwater sources have led to the ban. Douglas Whitfield, the company’s water supply director, emphasized the importance of ensuring sufficient water for essential needs like drinking and hygiene.
The prolonged dry spell in central and south-east England has led to no recorded rainfall for 14 consecutive days, based on Met Office data. Reservoir storage levels in England are slightly below the long-term average, with some reservoirs, including Wimbleball in Somerset and Grafham in Cambridgeshire, classified as having notably low water levels.
In response to the increasing temperatures, there have been 28 days in 2026 where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius in the UK. Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist called for action to address water leaks and combat climate change to safeguard water resources for the future.