South East Water is set to enforce a hosepipe ban for its customers in Kent and Sussex.

The ban will start on Friday, August 12 and is set to last indefinitely.

Neighbouring Southern Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on Friday, August 5 covering areas such as Kingsclere, Overton, Whitchurch and Andover.

However, the ban does not apply to those living in Basingstoke as they are supplied by South East Water. 

Bosses at South East Water have said such measures are not yet necessary for its customers in Berkshire and Hampshire.

Announcing the ban, the company said: "This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK.

"Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.

"During July in the South East, we have only seen 8 per cent of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather."

It added: "The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave.

"We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily."

Each day, South East Water supplies 520 million litres of water to 2.2 million customers. That water is sourced from more than 250 boreholes, six rivers, and six reservoirs.

All customers in Kent and Sussex will be affected by the ban except those on the priority service register.

But residents in Berkshire and Hampshire will not be affected, at least for the time being - despite government minister George Eustice strongly urging all water companies to take action.

It said: "Whilst demand in our supply areas in Berkshire and Hampshire has also increased considerably, we have not suffered from the same water supply issues as experienced in Kent and Sussex.

READ MORE: Southern Water hosepipe ban: The areas of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight affected

"For the time being, we are in a position that we can continue to ask our customers to apply voluntary restraint on the amount of water they use at home.

"We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will advise customers if circumstances change."

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Eustice said it was "right" some firms had already intervened but he urged all to do the same. 

Southern Water's ban - which also affects Winchester - came into force on Friday evening.

The utility company has said river flows are now approximately 25 per cent lower than they should be at this time of year. While on an average day it supplies 540 million litres of water, that figure rose to an average of 631 million litres a day in July.

Dr Alison Hoyle, Director of Risk & Compliance at Southern Water, said: "We haven’t taken this decision lightly and we know the Temporary Use Ban will have an impact on our customers. We’re working with the Environment Agency to ensure that we act responsibly to protect our environment.

Basingstoke Gazette: The areas covered by Southern Water's ban The areas covered by Southern Water's ban

"We’re asking everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to do their bit by supporting these measures and only use the water that they need. We’re experiencing one of the driest years on record for over a century and we’ve seen record temperatures. River flows are approximately 25% lower than they should be for July, which is equivalent to losing more than 25 million bathtubs of water.

"We're asking our customers to help protect our rivers and the habitats that live there by cutting back their water use. We believe a Temporary Use Ban is a responsible and vital step to reducing the amount of water being taken from the Rivers Test and Itchen.”

SEE ALSO: Hampshire hosepipe ban: What it means for you

During the ban, the use of a hosepipe, including using sprinklers, dripper hoses, automatic irrigation systems and similar devices, is prohibited for the following:

  • 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, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
  • Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
  • Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
  • Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe
  • Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
  • Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

Nowhere in England is currently considered to be 'in drought', most of the country has instead moved into ‘prolonged dry weather’ status. This will be the first time a TUB has been seen in our region since 2012. 

Residents will still be able to carry out any of the listed activities if they use mains water from a bucket or watering can. Any water not sourced from the mains - such as rainwater from a water butt - is also fine to use. Anyone who breaks the prohibitions could be hit with a fine of up to £1,000.

Several exceptions apply for people using their hoses to water plants for commercial sale or use, or for health and safety reasons.

To see more about the ban, visit southernwater.co.uk/our-story/water-resources-planning/

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