A ban on hosepipe and sprinklers is set to be introduced across East Sussex and the rest of the South East Water area following record-breaking demand for water and the exceptionally warm and dry weather.
The ban, announced this morning, will affect more than 1.4 million residents across Kent and Sussex, and will come into effect on 18 July. It prohibits the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. Anyone flouting the restriction could be fined up to £1,000.
South East Water said demand for drinking water has “reached record levels” since May due to the extended spell of warm and dry weather. Chief executive David Hinton said: “Despite asking for customers’ help to use water for essential uses only, we’ve been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary restriction.”
“Water supply resources have been significantly stretched, but we are pleased so far we have been able to largely meet customer demands,” he added.
The Met Office has confirmed England has had its driest spring since 1893 and the dry, hot conditions are set to continue. South East Water said it saw the highest levels of water usage so far on 30 June, reaching 680 million litres – which was 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer.
Mr Hinton added: “Hosepipe restrictions are an integral part of our drought mitigation in the UK and are designed to protect supplies and the environment. We are very aware that climate change and other factors are increasing the frequency of these events. Hosepipe restrictions are an integral part of our drought mitigation in the UK and are designed to protect supplies and the environment.
“I would like to thank everyone who has already taken steps to try and reduce their overall water use but despite this, demand still remains very high and the forecast suggests a dry summer is highly likely which is why we have taken this decision to bring in temporary use restrictions.”
South East Water has not indicated when the ban will be lifted, but it will “continue to monitor the weather forecast and will review the decision on a regular basis”.
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