Hosepipe Ban in Berkshire 2026: Is Berkshire Affected?
Published: July 10, 2026 · Updated:
Parts of Berkshire are affected. Berkshire is served by more than one water company, and at least one has a hosepipe ban in force, so whether your address is included depends on your supplier. Check your postcode to find out.
Berkshire is split across Affinity Water (ban in force since 17 July), Thames Water (ban from 00:01 on 23 July) and, in parts, South East Water, whose ban covers its Berkshire areas from 25 July 2026, the first restrictions there in 14 years. All three ban dates differ, so check which company supplies your postcode.
Check your exact address
Supply boundaries do not follow county lines. The only reliable answer is your postcode.
Check your postcode →Who supplies Berkshire
Berkshire does not have a single water company. The suppliers below each cover part of the county, and their bans (where they have one) start on different dates. We will not guess which one serves your address, because the boundaries follow historical infrastructure rather than the county line. Your water bill names your supplier, and the postcode checker returns every candidate for your postcode.
Affinity Water
TUB Active: Central region in force since 17 July 2026Dates: Central region in force since 17 July 2026
Banned: Watering a garden using a hosepipe; cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe; watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises; cleaning a private leisure boat; filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool; drawing water for domestic recreational use; filling or maintaining a domestic pond or ornamental fountain; cleaning walls, windows, paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces.
Still allowed: Watering with a watering can or bucket is always allowed, as is water from a butt or other non-mains source. Annex 2 of Affinity Water's statutory notice automatically exempts Blue Badge holders and customers on the Priority Services Register, who may continue to use a hosepipe without making representations. Affinity Water's website guidance additionally states that customers on the WaterSure tariff are exempt, and that businesses may continue to use a hosepipe where it is directly needed for their commercial activities; both of those go beyond what the notice itself sets out, so quote the guidance if you are challenged. The notice also allows drip and trickle irrigation fitted with a pressure reducing valve and timer, and hosepipe watering of turf laid within the previous four weeks. Representations can be made in writing to Affinity Water.
Fine: £1,000 maximum per violation.
Full detail on the Affinity Water page.
Thames Water
TUB Active: The Thames Water drinking-water supply area (London, the Thames Valley and the home counties) in force since 23 July 2026Dates: The Thames Water drinking-water supply area (London, the Thames Valley and the home counties) in force since 23 July 2026
Banned: Across the Thames water-supply area, and Thames Water counts sprinklers and pressure washers as covered: watering a garden, lawn or allotment with a hosepipe; filling or topping up a paddling pool, swimming pool or hot tub; using a sprinkler or jet washer; and cleaning a vehicle, patio, path, driveway, wall, window or any other outdoor surface with a hosepipe.
Still allowed: Watering with a watering can or bucket is always allowed, as is water collected in a water butt or reused from the home. Thames Water lists exemptions including wastewater-only customers, health and safety needs, animal welfare (pets, livestock and fish), some business services and activities, watering food crops and certain newly planted trees, and Priority Services customers who cannot reasonably adjust their water use because of a disability or medical condition. Thames Water says the full exemptions are in its legal notice, available from 22 July 2026.
Fine: £1,000 maximum per violation.
Full detail on the Thames Water page.
South East Water
TUB Active: Kent in force since 3 July 2026; Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire in force since 25 July 2026Dates: Kent in force since 3 July 2026; Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire in force since 25 July 2026
Banned: Watering gardens or plants with a hosepipe; cleaning private cars with a hosepipe; cleaning walls, windows, paths or patios with a hosepipe; filling or maintaining swimming pools, paddling pools and hot tubs; cleaning boats; running ornamental fountains.
Still allowed: Watering with watering can or bucket always allowed. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses exempt. Blue badge holders and Priority Services Register customers may apply for exemption. Commercial food production exempt. Collected rainwater unrestricted, and South East Water's FAQ confirms a hosepipe connected to a rainwater or grey water source (such as a water butt) may be used for garden watering and car washing. Vehicle cleaning exemptions per its FAQ: cars cleaned as a service to customers in the course of a business, and public service, goods, commercial and taxi vehicles. New turf laid BEFORE the start of the ban may be watered by hosepipe in domestic gardens for 28 days (four weeks) after planting or laying, to help it establish. South East Water attaches two conditions: hosepipe watering must be done outside the daily peak hours of 8am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm, and you must be able to provide evidence of the date the works were completed if asked. Watering for longer than 28 days, or failing to evidence the date, is a breach of the ban.
Fine: £1,000 maximum per violation.
Full detail on the South East Water page.
What you can still do in Berkshire
A hosepipe ban restricts the hosepipe, not the water. Watering with a can or bucket is always allowed, collected rainwater and greywater are unrestricted, and the exemptions are wider than most people realise. For the full allowed-versus-banned list and how it differs by company, see what you can still do under a hosepipe ban. If you have newly laid turf, the 28-day new turf exemption may apply.
Explore the wider picture
- Is there a hosepipe ban in my area? the national picture and every county.
- UK hosepipe ban map colour-coded by region.
- Postcode checker the exact answer for your address.
- Hosepipe ban fines explained the £1,000 penalty and how enforcement works.
- UK hosepipe ban hub every company and status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a hosepipe ban in Berkshire?
Berkshire is served by more than one water company (Affinity Water, Thames Water and South East Water), and at least one has a hosepipe ban. Whether your address is affected depends on which company supplies you, so check your postcode or your water bill.
Which water company supplies Berkshire?
More than one: Affinity Water, Thames Water and South East Water. Their supply areas follow historical infrastructure, not the county boundary, so Berkshire cannot be assigned to a single company. Your water bill names your supplier, and our postcode checker returns every candidate for your postcode.
Is a hosepipe ban set by the council or the water company?
The water company, not the council. A Temporary Use Ban is declared by your water company under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991. That is why the answer depends on your supplier and not on which county or district you live in.
How do I check if my Berkshire postcode is affected?
Use our UK postcode checker, which maps your postcode to its water company or companies and shows each one's current status. Because Berkshire postcodes such as SL, RG can span more than one supplier, the checker returns every candidate with a note to confirm on your bill.
County-to-company routing is a guide, not a guarantee: water supply boundaries follow historical infrastructure, not county lines. The definitive answer for your address is the postcode checker and your water bill. ← Back to UK hosepipe ban status