Information from South East Water
Hosepipe ban restrictions lifted in Kent and Sussex
As you will be aware, since the 16 June we have had a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), more commonly known as a hosepipe ban, in place within our Kent and Sussex supply area. Today we have taken the decision to lift the ban with immediate effect. We originally put the TUB in place during the hottest June on record, where record-breaking demands for water saw customers in parts of our Kent and Sussex supply area experiencing supply issues. This was despite extracting, treating and pumping an additional 138 million litres of water a day into the network – the equivalent of supplying four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne. Since then, we have been monitoring our position on a weekly basis. This review has included looking at current water demand levels, weather forecasts and resource availability. Given the wider context of extreme heat affecting parts of Europe recently, we approached these reviews with a sensible degree of caution as we wanted to protect the water supply for all our customers and the environment. I would like to say thank you to our customers for adhering to the restrictions and finding ways to cut down on their water use, reducing the level of demand. Although at the moment it does not feel like summer, we do hope people will continue to be mindful about how much water they use, particularly on hot days, when demand is higher. Click here for the latest water demand and reservoir levels charts.