Hosepipe ban: who's affected and what are the rules

We may be breathing a sigh of relief now the UK's third heatwave of the summer is starting to cool, but millions of us are now living with or facing hosepipe bans.

Spring 2025 has been the hottest and sunniest spring on record and we've seen temperatures of over 30°C - with Faversham, Kent seeing the highest so far of 35.8°C.

The Environment Agency declared a drought in the North West of England at the end of May and now three water companies have announced bans, while others are monitoring the situation.

Usually, a hosepipe ban means you will not be allowed to use a hosepipe or sprinkler system for jobs like watering the garden, washing your car, pressure washing your patio or filling ponds, paddling pools and hot tubs.

Water companies say a ban can reduce water consumption by 10% as running a hose uses up to 1,000 litres of water an hour.

Here we explain exactly who is affected, and the rules you’ll need to follow until any ban is lifted.

Where there's a hosepipe ban in the UK

Yorkshire Water

A hosepipe ban came into force on Friday 11 July, for more than five million households in the region and the company's chief executive told the BBC it will last until the end of the year.

The ban affects all customers receiving their supply from Yorkshire Water, which takes in much of Yorkshire, parts of North Lincolnshire and parts of Derbyshire.

Yorkshire Water’s director of water, Dave Kaye, said: "Introducing these restrictions is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we’ve been doing everything we can to avoid having to put them in place."

South East Water

The water company announced a hosepipe ban would come into force on July 18 for 1.4 million of its customers living in parts of Kent and Sussex.

The ban does not currently affect customers in its Western region covering parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire - although customers around Basingstoke, Petersfield, Farnham and north to Camberley and Windsor are being asked to reduce water consumption at peak times to help avoid low pressure.

Coastal regions in Kent and Sussex such as Dover and Folkestone are not included in this ban, as they have a separate water supplier.

In a statement, South East Water said: “Demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex has reached record levels since May – with the ongoing warm and dry weather, we’re all using far more water than usual.

"This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover."

Thames Water

Thames Water has announced a ban beginning on July 22nd across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire. The temporary restriction will cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.

"This year, the UK experienced one of its warmest and driest springs in over a century. June was also England’s warmest on record. The Environment Agency has put our area into the prolonged dry weather category," the company said.

"That’s why we need to bring in a hosepipe ban. It will help protect the environment and make sure there’s enough water to go around this summer."

Breaking the hosepipe ban could risk a large fine

Anyone found using a hosepipe during a Temporary Use Ban without permission from their local water company could be fined by up to £1,000.

If a water company is made aware of people breaching the conditions, they may be sent a letter or correspondence first reminding them of the ban.

Hosepipe ban rules: what you can and can't do

The rules may vary slightly, but most water companies have similar restrictions.

Under the Yorkshire Water ban, you can’t use a hosepipe (including sprinklers, dipper hoses, automatic irrigation systems and other similar devices) for the following activities.

• Watering the garden or plants in your garden at home
• Cleaning private vehicles or boats
• Filling or maintaining a swimming pool, paddling pool, hot tub or cold-water plunge pool at home
• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond or ornamental fountain
• Cleaning your home’s walls or windows yourself  
• Cleaning paths, patios or artificial outdoor surfaces

Hosepipe ban exemptions

• If you’re a business or non-household customer, you are allowed to use a hosepipe if this is directly related to the use of water for your commercial purposes, but the restrictions do apply if you’re not using a hosepipe for essential needs
• Other exemptions include using a drip or trickle irrigation system, customers on the Priority Services Register (PSR) who need a hot tub or similar for medical needs,
• Watering food crops at domestic premises or private allotments using a hosepipe. This exception is purely for plants grown for food, and does not include other plants and flowers
• Watering newly laid turf or grass seed using a hosepipe for the frst 28 days
• Watering newly bought plants for the frst 14 days
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain/pool to operate for religious purposes
• Watering plants that are (1) grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or (2) that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display
• Using a hosepipe to water a garden or enclosed private leisure boat for health or safety reasons, and where this includes (a) removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety; and (b) preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease

 For a full list see the Yorkshire Water website.