Hosepipe Ban in Buckinghamshire 2026: Is Buckinghamshire Affected?
Published: July 10, 2026 · Updated:
Parts of Buckinghamshire are affected. Buckinghamshire 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.
Buckinghamshire is split across Affinity Water (ban from 17 July), Thames Water (ban from 23 July) and, in the north, Anglian Water (ban from 11 July). Check 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 Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire 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.
Anglian Water
TUB Active: East of England (except Hartlepool) in force since 10 July 2026Dates: East of England (except Hartlepool) in force since 10 July 2026
Banned: Watering gardens and plants; cleaning private vehicles; cleaning paths, patios, walls, windows and other artificial outdoor surfaces; filling or maintaining swimming pools, paddling pools and hot tubs; filling or maintaining ponds and ornamental fountains; cleaning private leisure boats. Sprinklers, pressure washers, dripper hoses and automatic irrigation systems connected to the mains supply are restricted alongside handheld hosepipes.
Still allowed: Watering with a watering can or bucket is always allowed. Water drawn from a water butt or another recycled or stored water system rather than the mains supply is unrestricted. Anglian Water lists exceptions covering Priority Services Register customers who cannot make reasonable adjustments because of a health condition or disability; uses necessary to protect human or animal health and safety; animal welfare, including the care of pets, livestock and fish; religious practice; and specific business needs. Anglian Water's drought plan also permits watering newly laid turf and newly sown lawns for up to 28 days (four weeks) after laying, where watering by can is not a practical option. Exceptions and their conditions are set out in Anglian Water's own Temporary Use Ban notice; check it before relying on any exception.
Fine: £1,000 maximum per violation.
Full detail on the Anglian Water page.
What you can still do in Buckinghamshire
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 Buckinghamshire?
Buckinghamshire is served by more than one water company (Affinity Water, Thames Water and Anglian 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 Buckinghamshire?
More than one: Affinity Water, Thames Water and Anglian Water. Their supply areas follow historical infrastructure, not the county boundary, so Buckinghamshire 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 Buckinghamshire 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 Buckinghamshire postcodes such as HP, MK, SL 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