Today South East Water has announced that from Friday 12 August, a temporary use ban will be in force for around 1.4 million people and just over 575,000 homes across Kent and Sussex. This will help to reduce demand from customers to conserve their supplies and protect the environment.
Temporary use bans are an early stage of drought management action that water companies can implement using their own powers, to help reduce water demand and therefore preserve water for longer periods during dry weather. This will restrict non-essential use of water drawn through a hosepipe or similar apparatus.
Whilst the temporary use ban (TUB) or hosepipe ban is in place, you must not use a hosepipe that is connected to your mains water supply.
A “hosepipe” means anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe. This means that garden sprinklers and irrigation systems (outside of the exception), connected to the mains water supply, are all considered to be hosepipes, together with anything attached to them like pressure washers.
Activities that will be restricted are: 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.
Any person who contravenes any of these prohibitions is guilty of an offence and may be liable to receive a fine of up to £1,000.
Independent Water Networks will also be introducing a temporary use ban in the South East Water Kent and Sussex region. They are currently in consultation with these restrictions to be introduced from 12th August.
The ban will be in place until we have received sufficient rain for the sources of water to have recovered.
FAQs can be found on South East Water’s website here: https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/updates/tubs-faqs