Temporary Use Bans apply to specific supply zones, not always an entire water company's network. Areas listed below indicate the supply zones affected based on information available at the time of publication. Always verify whether your specific address is covered by checking your water company's official website or calling their customer helpline. Restrictions and affected areas can change at short notice. Water Industry Hub is an industry intelligence service and does not determine whether a ban applies to individual addresses.
The Background: England's Record June 2026 Heatwave
UK temperatures peaked at 37.7°C at Lingwood, Norfolk on 26 June 2026 — the highest June temperature ever recorded in England (Met Office). The previous June record of 35.6°C was broken on three consecutive days. The Met Office issued Amber heat-health alerts across England and hundreds of schools closed at the height of the warning period.
Demand for mains water surged sharply. South East Water's Kent network reached near-record peak demand of 687 million litres on 24 June — nearly 100 million litres above the June daily average. Thames Water reported an approximate 50 percent rise in demand across London and the Thames Valley. Yorkshire Water's reservoirs fell to approximately 55.8 percent of capacity — well below seasonal norms — driven by a combination of the heatwave and the lingering legacy of spring 2025, which was the driest spring in 132 years.
The national reservoir picture is not a crisis — the Environment Agency reports national English storage at approximately 87.5 percent of the long-term average as of late June. The problem is regional: the south east and Yorkshire are acutely stressed while the north west, south west and Wales remain comfortable. Temporary Use Bans are company-level decisions based on local supply triggers, not national reservoir decisions — which is why some regions face formal restrictions while others operate normally.
The Companies That Have Restricted
South East Water's TUB for its Kent supply area was the first formal ban of summer 2026, in force from 00:01 on Friday 3 July. The company has been explicit that this is a network capacity decision, not a reservoir crisis — the sustained heatwave has been draining storage tanks across Kent faster than the treatment works can physically refill them, even running at maximum capacity and producing over 100 million extra litres per day.
On 20 July 2026, South East Water announced an extension of the TUB to its Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire supply areas, effective from 00:01 on Saturday 25 July 2026. The company is asking customers in these areas to comply immediately. The extension follows lower than average rainfall since March, continued high temperatures and high demand. In Sussex, Arlington Reservoir has fallen to a level requiring restrictions under South East Water's Drought Plan — the area has received only 55% of average rainfall since March. In Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, this is the first time restrictions have been placed on these areas in 14 years. The ban covers hosepipe use for garden watering, car washing, patio cleaning, pool filling and ornamental fountains. Fine for breach: up to £1,000 per violation.
South West Water declared a Temporary Use Ban for parts of its supply area in Mid Devon and East Devon from 12pm (noon) on Tuesday 14 July 2026. On 8 August 2026 the company expanded this to a full-region ban, effective from 00:01 on Saturday 8 August 2026, now covering its entire supply area — all of Devon and Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset, and the Isles of Scilly. Customers across the expanded area are asked to stop using hosepipes for garden watering, car washing, patio cleaning, pool filling and other restricted outdoor uses immediately. Maximum fine for breach: up to £1,000. Source: southwestwater.co.uk, checked 8 August 2026.
Southern Water's Temporary Use Ban for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight came into force at 00:01 on Friday 10 July 2026, affecting approximately one million customers. Sussex customers are not subject to this ban. Always check southernwater.co.uk for the current position.
Anglian Water's Temporary Use Ban for its full supply area came into force at 1:01am on Saturday 11 July 2026 — its first ban in 14 years and one of the most geographically extensive TUBs in recent memory, covering more than 5 million customers across Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and adjacent areas. Three successive heatwaves and record June temperatures (37.3°C at Santon Downham — the hottest June day ever recorded in England) have significantly reduced groundwater levels and river flows across the East of England. Anglian Water described the decision as "very difficult" but necessary to protect customer supplies and the region's chalk streams and groundwater aquifers. The East of England is structurally the driest region of England, and this TUB underscores why Anglian's AMP8 investment in strategic water resources and inter-regional transfer infrastructure is not precautionary — it is urgent. Important: Customers of Essex & Suffolk Water within parts of Essex and Suffolk are supplied by a separate company and are not subject to this ban — check your bill to confirm your supplier. £1,000 maximum fine for breach.
Affinity Water issued a statutory notice under Section 76B of the Water Industry Act 1991 on 10 July 2026, with an original enforcement date of 17 July 2026. The ban was subsequently brought forward with immediate effect on Saturday 11 July 2026, citing critical supply pressure over that weekend. The drivers cited were demand running approximately 20% above normal, combined with low rainfall and sustained high temperatures following the warmest June on record for England. Grafham Water reservoir — which typically provides around 10% of the Central region's supply — is also delivering below normal volumes, raising the risk of demand exceeding Affinity's licensed abstraction limits. The ban covers hosepipe use for garden watering, car washing, patio cleaning, pool filling, ornamental fountains, leisure boat cleaning and other outdoor artificial surfaces — the full list of eleven restricted activities set out in the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. The ban is indefinite — it remains in force until Affinity Water publishes a further notice. Important — supply zone check: The ban applies to Affinity Water's Central region only. Postcodes covered include parts of Bedfordshire (LU1–7), Hertfordshire (AL1–10, SG1–18, HP1–27), Berkshire (RG12, RG42, RG45, SL2–5), Buckinghamshire (SL0, SL9, HP14–27), Surrey (GU1–25, KT8–16, TW4–20), Essex (CM1–24, CB9–11, RM4) and parts of north and west London (NW2–11, N2–20, HA0–9, UB1–11, W7, W13, EN2–9). If you are uncertain, check your specific postcode at affinitywater.co.uk. £1,000 maximum fine for breach.
Cambridge Water has declared its first Temporary Use Ban in 30 years, effective from 1am on Friday 17 July 2026. The company cited record-breaking temperatures, a 30% surge in mains water demand (equivalent to 300,000 extra baths per day) and significantly reduced river flows and groundwater reserves as the reasons for the ban. Cambridge Water is a South Staffordshire Water company serving approximately 350,000 customers. £1,000 maximum fine for breach.
Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru) declared a Temporary Use Ban for parts of west Wales effective from 10am on Sunday 19 July 2026, affecting approximately 33,000 properties across mid/south Ceredigion, north Pembrokeshire and north Carmarthenshire. This is an unusual TUB in that it is explicitly demand-led — not a drought event or reservoir shortage. The company's treatment works in the area are running at capacity but cannot produce clean water fast enough to meet current demand, which is running at approximately one billion litres per day — around 20% above seasonal normal. The ban covers the standard restricted uses: hosepipe and sprinkler use for garden watering, car washing, patio cleaning, pool and pond filling, hot tubs and water features. Maximum fine for breach: up to £1,000.
United Utilities serves approximately seven million customers across Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. For the current supply position, check unitedutilities.com directly.
What Do TUBs Mean for Business Customers?
One of the most common questions we're seeing right now is whether the bans apply to businesses. The short answer is: commercial operations that use water as a core part of their business are largely protected by statute — but there are important differences between companies, and some business uses are restricted even where domestic equivalents are not.
Temporary Use Bans are introduced under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991. The legislation was designed to target non-essential domestic use, and it explicitly carves out a number of commercial activities from restrictions. However, the exact scope of exemptions varies company by company, and water companies have some discretion in how they apply the rules. Businesses operating in multiple TUB areas should check each company's guidance separately.
What Is Consistently Exempt Across All Active TUBs
The following business uses are confirmed exempt under all nine active TUBs, either by the company's own published guidance or by the statutory framework that governs all TUBs:
- Commercial car washes — automated and hand car washes operating as a paid service to customers are exempt in all areas. This has been confirmed explicitly by South East Water, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water. Many commercial car washes also recycle water, which helps further. Note: a free or complimentary car wash (e.g. a dealership throwing in a wash as part of a service) may not be exempt — check your water company's specific guidance.
- Professional window cleaning businesses — cleaning windows as a paid service to customers is exempt in all areas. This includes van-mounted pure water systems filled from the mains, whether topped up at the operator's premises or a customer's property.
- Commercial agriculture and food production — agricultural land used to grow crops, fruit, vegetables or plants for sale as part of a business is exempt under all TUBs. Farmers are not restricted on their commercial water use, though domestic hosepipe use at their home and garden must comply.
- Garden centres and commercial nurseries — watering of plants grown or kept for sale is exempt. South East Water has confirmed this explicitly. Ornamental fountains and water features on the premises are still restricted.
- Hospitals — exempt under health and safety provisions in all areas.
- Prisons — exempt under essential services provisions in all areas.
- Public swimming pools — only domestic swimming pools are restricted. Public leisure pools are not affected. Cambridge Water has confirmed this explicitly.
- Sports grounds — active playing area only — a hosepipe can be used to water the area actively used for sport or play, but only where it is necessary on health and safety grounds (for example, if the ground is becoming dangerously hard). The exemption applies to the active strip only, not the full grounds. Confirmed by South East Water and Cambridge Water.
What Is Restricted Even for Businesses
The exemptions above are narrower than they might first appear. A number of business scenarios that customers might expect to be exempt are in fact restricted:
- Businesses watering their own grounds, gardens or car parks — the fact that you are a business does not exempt you from restrictions on watering your own non-commercial outdoor areas. A pub landlord cannot use a hosepipe to water their beer garden. An office cannot use a hosepipe on its flowerbeds. A care home cannot use a hosepipe on its communal garden. A local council cannot use a hosepipe to water hanging baskets, floral displays or public parks (confirmed by South East Water).
- Landscape gardeners and groundskeepers working on domestic gardens — a landscape gardener working on a private domestic garden cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler, even in a professional capacity. The exemption for commercial use does not extend to a tradesperson doing work that the domestic customer themselves would be restricted from. Exception: newly laid turf and new planting can be watered with a hosepipe for up to 28 days from laying.
- Schools and universities — communal gardens — schools cannot use a hosepipe to water communal garden areas. Window cleaning of school buildings as a commercial service is, however, exempt.
Where Companies Differ — Read This if You Are in a Restricted Area
The most significant variation we have found between companies' published guidance concerns taxi and private hire vehicles:
- South East Water (Kent): Taxi vehicles are exempt. The company classifies them as commercial vehicles, and cleaning them with a hosepipe is permitted as part of operating a commercial service.
- Affinity Water: Taxi and minicab vehicles are not exempt. The statutory notice (Annex 2, activity b) states explicitly: "taxis and minicabs are not considered to be public service vehicles and so are subject to bans." This differs from South East Water's position. Commercial car washes remain exempt (a hosepipe can be used "in the course of a business to clean private motor vehicles where this is done as a service to customers, where this cannot reasonably be done using a bucket"). Commercial window cleaning at customer premises is also exempt — confirmed in the statutory notice under activities (i), (j) and (k). Garden centres and nurseries watering plants grown for sale are not restricted. Agricultural land is not restricted.
Construction businesses should note that using a hosepipe as part of building work (for example, mixing cement) is generally permitted, but cleaning paths and roads is not unless there is a clear health and safety reason. South East Water has confirmed this concession for essential works.
Yorkshire Water — No Restrictions
Yorkshire Water has confirmed that no hosepipe ban is currently in place. The company's own website (checked 14 July 2026) states: "No, hosepipe restrictions are not in place. We're in a strong position across Yorkshire, with water resources healthier than this time last year." Reservoir, groundwater and river levels are described as healthy and above the same period in 2025. Yorkshire Water is encouraging customers to use water wisely during warm weather — this is voluntary guidance, not a legal restriction. Yorkshire had temporary hosepipe restrictions in 2025, which were fully lifted on 10 December 2025; those are not in force. For the latest position, check yorkshirewater.com directly.
The Companies That Have Made Voluntary Appeals
Essex & Suffolk Water has not declared a Temporary Use Ban. However, the company has warned that continued high demand could force restrictions if conditions do not improve. As of 7 July 2026, the company's combined Essex reservoir storage (Hanningfield and Abberton Reservoirs) stood at 80% full — below the seasonal average for this time of year. Customers in parts of Essex and Suffolk may be confused by Anglian Water's TUB, which covers overlapping geography — Essex & Suffolk Water serves approximately 2 million customers across Essex and Suffolk but is an entirely separate company with its own reservoir and supply infrastructure. If you are an Essex & Suffolk Water customer, there is currently no hosepipe ban in place, though the company is asking customers to use water wisely.
Thames Water declared a formal Temporary Use Ban effective 00:01 BST Thursday 23 July 2026, covering its entire supply area across London, the Thames Valley and Home Counties — approximately 15 million customers. The ban follows three record-breaking heatwaves this summer, with demand running approximately 10% above normal in the Thames Valley and 7% above normal across London. This is Thames Water's first formal TUB. The declaration comes against the backdrop of its ongoing financial restructuring and the new government's public-ownership agenda under PM Andy Burnham.
Severn Trent made a public appeal covered on ITV on 7 July 2026, asking Midlands customers to avoid using mains water for garden irrigation and to switch to stored rainwater or grey water where possible during the current hot spell. No formal Temporary Use Ban has been declared. Severn Trent's service area — covering the Midlands inland, with no coastline and a primarily surface water supply base — is inherently exposed to prolonged dry weather events.
South Staffs Water's Operations Director Shaun Dowen communicated a conservation appeal to the company's customers and connections via LinkedIn during the current hot spell, asking customers to conserve mains water for essential use. South Staffs Water is a Water Only Company serving parts of Staffordshire and the West Midlands — adjacent to Severn Trent's network — and operates under the same surface water supply pressures during prolonged dry periods.
What This Means for the Supply Chain
Multiple companies across England taking conservation action simultaneously is not a coincidence — it is a structural signal. The frequency and severity of summer demand spikes is increasing, and water companies know it. The investment response is already locked into AMP8 business plans, but drought events like this summer accelerate internal prioritisation of specific categories:
- Smart meter rollout: Metered customers demonstrably use less water. Companies with large unmetered customer bases face the sharpest demand spikes in heatwaves. Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and Thames Water all have significant smart metering programmes in AMP8 — expect these to be front-loaded where possible.
- Leakage detection and repair: Every litre lost to leaks in a drought is a litre that can't be supplied to customers. Companies under TUB pressure increase leak detection and repair teams immediately — see our UK leakage data breakdown. Technology suppliers (acoustic loggers, correlators, AI-based leak location) and civils contractors benefit.
- Demand management technology: Pressure management, district metered areas, real-time network monitoring — all help companies fine-tune supply during peak events. These systems are already in capital plans; heatwaves make the case for faster commissioning.
- Reservoir and raw water storage infrastructure: The Let's Save Water campaign projected nine new reservoirs for England by 2050. The case for each one strengthens every time a summer like 2026 occurs. Engineering, civil and environmental consultancy firms working on long-lead strategic resource options should expect renewed client engagement.
- Water efficiency products: Showerheads, tap aerators, dual-flush cisterns — companies with framework agreements for water efficiency devices (often directly with water companies) see accelerated order flow during and after conservation campaigns.
Conservation appeals and TUBs are triggers for internal prioritisation decisions, not procurement events in themselves. The contracts that result from this summer's water stress will come to market in the autumn 2026 procurement round as companies review their AMP8 programme pacing. Businesses positioning themselves now — through framework holder relationships and pre-market engagement — will be better placed when notices appear. Track the Forward Pipeline for emerging opportunities across all affected companies.
Summer 2026 — The Full Picture
- 37.3°C on 26 June — highest June temperature in English history (Met Office)
- Nine TUBs confirmed: Thames Water (London/Thames Valley/Home Counties, from 23 Jul — ~15m customers), South East Water (Kent from 3 Jul — extended to Sussex/Surrey/Hants/Berks from 25 Jul, ~2.4m customers total), Anglian Water (11 Jul), Essex & Suffolk Water (3 Aug — first since 1997, ~2m customers), South West Water (full supply area from 8 Aug — Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset & Somerset, Isles of Scilly), Affinity Water (Central, 11 Jul — ~3.9M customers), Cambridge Water (17 Jul — first in 30 years), Southern Water (Hants & IoW, 10 Jul — ~1M customers, still in force), Welsh Water (west Wales, 19 Jul — demand-led, ~33,000 properties)
- Yorkshire Water: no restrictions in place — confirmed; reservoir and river levels above 2025 levels
- 2 voluntary appeals: Severn Trent (7 Jul), South Staffs Water
- National reservoir storage ~87.5% — the crisis is regional, not national
- Supply chain: smart metering, leakage detection, demand management and reservoir infrastructure all benefit
Track Water Sector Procurement Across All Affected Companies
Water Industry Hub monitors live tenders, framework appointments and supply chain intelligence across every UK water company — including all nine with confirmed TUBs this summer. Search our directory of 7,835+ verified water sector suppliers already positioned for this work.
Live Tenders → AMP8 Framework Tracker → Supplier Directory →Sources: South East Water (official TUB notice, southeastwater.co.uk, 3 July 2026); Yorkshire Water (hosepipe ban status page, yorkshirewater.com, confirmed no restrictions in place, checked 14 July 2026); Southern Water (TUB declaration, July 2026, southernwater.co.uk); Welsh Water / Dŵr Cymru (TUB declaration, corporate.dwrcymru.com, 19 July 2026); Affinity Water (statutory notice S.76B Water Industry Act 1991, affinitywater.co.uk/docs/hosepipe/legal-notice-july-2026.pdf, 17 July 2026; Harrow Online, 10–11 July 2026; Bishop's Stortford Independent, 10–11 July 2026); ITV News (Severn Trent appeal, 7 July 2026); LinkedIn, Shaun Dowen, Operations Director, South Staffs Water (July 2026); Environment Agency drought monitoring reports; Met Office (temperature records). Business exemptions sourced from company statutory notices and Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. Independent analysis by Water Industry Hub.