Hosepipe Restrictions - an appeal to residents by South East Water

South East Water have asked us to share their appeal to residents about the temporary hosepipe restrictions in place. You can read this appeal in full below:

"With more hot weather forecast for the next 10 days, we are asking your help in reminding your constituents, communities and networks that the temporary hosepipe restrictions across Kent are still in place.

The situation

Due to the consistently warm weather, demand for water is staying exceptionally high. This means treated drinking water supplies are under serious stress.

To protect our local water supplies and make sure there is enough for everyone's daily needs, it’s really important that our customers continue to follow the restrictions and only use water for essential purposes: drinking, cooking and hygiene.

Untreated (raw) water in reservoirs and groundwater sources were healthy going into spring and early summer following the higher than average winter rainfall. However, since March we’ve received just over half the expected rainfall across all areas we supply. This means these levels are starting to fall too.

We would greatly appreciate your help in sharing this reminder of the current restrictions with your constituents, communities, and networks.

Under the current restrictions, that have been in force since 3 July 2026, you cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler for:

• Watering your garden or plants
• Washing cars, windows, or patios
• Filling swimming and paddling pools

More information on the restrictions can be found here.

What happens if I use my hosepipe?

We know most customers are doing their bit to help, but we do have the power to prosecute anyone found breaking these restrictions without a valid exemption, which can result in fines of up to £1,000. We really want to avoid this, so please make sure restrictions are followed.

Why we need your help

On 5 July, the total amount of water we treated and put into the network was 655 million litres - that’s 67 million more than the average for July - and it’ll likely be more with hotter weather forecast for the next 10 days.

When demand stays this high day after day, we really struggle to keep drinking water storage tanks full. Without your help in sharing this message with your communities, people living at the far end of our network or on higher ground are at real risk of their taps running dry.

We want to be totally transparent about what we’re doing behind the scenes. Right now, our teams are:

• Running all available Water Treatment Works 24/7
• Working around the clock with extra teams to fix bursts and leaks
• Moving water around the network to where it’s needed most
• Bringing in extra water using tankers
• Keeping drinking water storage tanks as full as possible
• Managing water pressure across the network

We know we need to build a stronger network to cope with our changing climate and hotter summers, and we are absolutely committed to doing that. But building this infrastructure takes time and it isn't all ready just yet.

That’s why, for now, we’re asking for customers’ help, and yours, in sharing this message, which is to use water for essential purposes only: drinking, cooking and hygiene. This will have a huge, immediate impact on keeping the taps flowing for our customers in your area.

Thank you for your support

We want to say a big thank you for your support in helping us share this vital messaging. We truly appreciate your efforts and know what a positive difference local stakeholders such as yourself can make.

We are so sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful for your help in safeguarding Kent's water supply."

You can sign up to South East Water for water supply alerts here.