South East Water Hosepipe Ban Status 2026
Published: June 24, 2026 · Updated:
Status not verified against the company's own notice.
We have not verified a current restriction for South East Water against their own notice.
Our record for South East Waterclaims a Temporary Use Ban, but it is not backed by a current check of the company's own published notice, so we are not asserting it here. A hosepipe ban is legally enforceable and carries a fine, and we will not tell you one exists on anything less than the water company's own word.
Check South East Water's official status page: www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/updates/tubs-26/
Coverage Area
South East Water serves Kent and parts of Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, and its Temporary Use Ban now covers the ENTIRE supply area under two legal notices. Kent has been in force since 00:01 on Friday 3 July 2026. Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire were announced on 18 July and come into force at 00:01 on Saturday 25 July 2026; until then South East Water is urging customers there to follow the restrictions straight away.
Approximately 2.3 million customers in total. The Kent TUB covers about 850,000; South East Water publishes no population figure for the extension (The Independent reports around two million more).
Not sure of your supplier or whether your address is covered? Use the postcode checker. Official site: South East Water Ltd.
Drought Outlook
South East Water's Kent supply network has experienced near-record peak demand during the June 2026 heatwave (UK temperatures peaked at 37.3°C at Santon Downham, Suffolk on 26 June, a new June record per the Met Office). Reservoir storage at Ardingly and Bough Beech remains a longer-term concern but the immediate driver for the 3 July TUB is distribution-network pressure, not reservoir crisis. The 25 July extension has its own reasons: for Sussex, South East Water has paused abstraction from the River Cuckmere to protect it and Arlington Reservoir has dropped to the level at which its Drought Plan requires restrictions, after 55 per cent of average rainfall since March; for Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire these are the first temporary restrictions in 14 years, since 2012.
UK Lawn Care During South East Water Restrictions
Kent customers have been under the TUB since 3 July 2026; Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire customers are under it from 25 July, with the company urging compliance straight away. Watering with a can or bucket remains legal at any time. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are exempt. Raise mower to 50 to 60 millimetres, stop fertilising, and allow some browning to conserve water.
See our keep your lawn alive under a hosepipe ban guide, and overseeding during a hosepipe ban for the September window.
Counties South East Water Serves
County guides exist for the areas listed below. For any other part of the South East Water area, use the postcode checker rather than a county page:
Not sure your area is covered? Is there a hosepipe ban in my area? or use the postcode checker.
← Back to UK water restrictions overview
Source of record: South East Water's own status page, last checked 2026-08-10. Updates posted as water companies declare, modify, or lift restrictions.