Plants Gardens Business Environment People Products Events Books Jobs Diary About Home | Environment | Water | UK hosepipe ban update: Nine water companies imposing hosepipe bans as drought deepens 13 August 2026 UK hosepipe ban update: Nine water companies imposing hosepipe bans as drought deepens Nine water companies have now introduced Temporary Use Bans (TUBs), affecting customers across parts of England and Wales as prolonged hot and dry weather puts increasing pressure on water supplies. The latest restrictions come as drought conditions worsen. On 10 August, the National Drought Group reported that 71.3% of England was officially in drought, with more than 27 million people living under water-use restrictions. England and Wales also recorded their driest July on record. The nine TUBs now in force are the most widespread water restrictions seen since 2022. Hosepipe bans currently in force Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) are currently in force across some or all of the supply areas of: Affinity Water: restrictions in its Central region, covering parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, London and Essex. Anglian Water: restrictions across its whole region. Cambridge Water: restrictions across its whole supply area. Essex & Suffolk Water: restrictions for all household customers across its supply area, introduced on 3 August. Southern Water: restrictions affecting customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. South East Water: restrictions covering Kent, with further restrictions introduced across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from 25 July. South West Water: restrictions initially introduced in parts of Devon in July and extended from 8 August to all customers across Devon and Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset, and the Isles of Scilly. Thames Water: restrictions for customers supplied by the company across most of Greater London, the Thames Valley and surrounding areas. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water: restrictions affecting parts of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Essex & Suffolk Water introduced its TUB on 3 August, covering household customers across its supply area. South West Water subsequently extended its restrictions from 8 August, bringing Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset and the Isles of Scilly into the ban. The company had previously restricted customers in parts of Devon and Dorset. Drought spreads The restrictions come as water resources remain under increasing pressure. The Government’s latest drought assessment says almost three-quarters of England is now in drought, with further areas recently added to the list. More than 25 million people were already subject to water-use restrictions, while more than 1,500 abstraction restrictions were in place. The National Drought Group has warned that public water supplies remain under pressure from continued dry weather and high demand, with further restrictions possible if conditions persist. Horticulture warns of impact For horticulture, the issue is not simply the availability of water but whether current restrictions allow the sector to maintain the trees, plants and green infrastructure needed to help communities adapt to a changing climate. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) have called for changes to the way restrictions are implemented and communicated, warning that the current approach risks damaging businesses responsible for delivering and maintaining green infrastructure. The organisations are calling for a long-term water strategy developed with industry and changes to the Drought Code of Practice to better reflect the needs of horticulture and landscaping. The HTA has also highlighted the distinction between household water use and the much smaller volumes used by environmental horticulture. Garden centres and ornamental growers use around 20 million cubic metres of water a year, equivalent to around 0.2% of total UK water consumption. Rainwater harvesting and storage are already widely used across the sector, but the HTA says businesses need greater certainty and investment to increase resilience. A longer-term water problem The immediate priority for water companies is protecting public supplies through the current drought. For horticulture, however, the concern is what happens when increasingly frequent periods of heat and drought collide with restrictions that can make it harder to establish and maintain planting. With nine TUBs now in force, the question is moving beyond how customers use less water during a drought to whether the UK has the infrastructure, storage and policy framework needed to manage water through a changing climate. The HTA has warned that horticulture must be part of that planning if the UK is to continue establishing the trees, gardens and green infrastructure needed to build climate resilience. share XBlueskyLinkedInFacebookReddit Related Articles UK hosepipe ban update: Thames Water joins growing list of suppliers introducing restrictions Millions more households are set to face restrictions on water use after Thames Water became the latest supplier to announce a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), as prolonged hot, dry weather continues to place pressure on water supplies. 21 Jul 2026 UK hosepipe ban update: Latest restrictions and areas at risk 13 Jul 2026 In Depth | Joy Macknight Best practice in water resilience 17 Jun 2026 Petra Hoyer Millar Summer of extremes: The Dutch rethink their relationship with water 2 Sep 2026 Delighted to see you raking through thedirt.news Make sure you don't miss anything. Get an overview of all the weekly horticultural news in our free newsletter You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. Sign up for our newsletter Loading... Thank you! An email from [email protected] is on its way to confirm your signup. LinkedInInstagramFacebookXBluesky The Dirt | Horticulture News Daily Newsletter sign up About Contact © streamHM Limited 2026 Registered in England No. 14793901. Registered office: The Courtyard, 19 High Street, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1AA. Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Editorial Policy Disclaimer Cookie Policy DMCA / Takedown Plants Ornamentals Edibles Trees & Shrubs Houseplants Fungi Plant Care Gardens Gardens Design Allotments Parks Show Gardens Health Business Company Regulation Media Charity Tourism Marketing Awards Environment Natural Capital Wildlife Innovation Water Soil People Careers Education Products Equipment Artisan Lifestyle Events RHS Chelsea 2026 Conferences Shows Books Jobs Diary About Newsletter Contact Search Search Plants Ornamentals Edibles Trees & Shrubs Houseplants Fungi Plant Care Gardens Gardens Design Allotments Parks Show Gardens Health Business Company Regulation Media Charity Tourism Marketing Awards Environment Natural Capital Wildlife Innovation Water Soil People Careers Education Products Equipment Artisan Lifestyle Events RHS Chelsea 2026 Conferences Shows Books Jobs Diary About Newsletter Contact Search Search