# hosepipeban.co.uk

Live hosepipe ban (Temporary Use Ban) status for every water company in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Check whether a ban applies to a specific UK postcode, because bans are set per water company and usually cover only part of a company's supply area.

## Current status

11 hosepipe bans are currently in force in England and Wales: Essex & Suffolk Water, South East Water, Thames Water, Anglian Water, Southern Water, Affinity Water, Cambridge Water, South West Water, Welsh Water, Wessex Water, Bristol Water. Most cover only part of the company's supply area, so the answer depends on the postcode.
Data last verified: 14 August 2026 (oldest of all companies).

WARNING: 8 of 23 company records are unconfirmed and are being re-checked. Do NOT report this as an absence of restrictions. An unconfirmed record means we could not read the company's own notice, not that the company has no ban. Direct the reader to their supplier's own page.

Unconfirmed, being re-checked:
- Severn Trent (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.stwater.co.uk
- South Staffs Water (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk
- Bournemouth Water (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.bournemouthwater.co.uk/
- Hartlepool Water (last confirmed 14 August 2026): https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/help-and-advice/save-water/hosepipe-restrictions
- Yorkshire Water (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/is-there-a-hosepipe-ban/
- Scottish Water (last confirmed 17 August 2026): https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/your-home/save-water
- Portsmouth Water (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/current-water-situation-in-our-supply-area/
- Hafren Dyfrdwy (last confirmed 18 August 2026): https://www.hdcymru.co.uk

Bans in force:
- Essex & Suffolk Water, since 3 August 2026
- South East Water, since 3 July 2026
- Thames Water, since 23 July 2026
- Anglian Water (Whole supply area except Hartlepool), since 11 July 2026
- Southern Water (Hampshire and the Isle of Wight only), since 10 July 2026
- Affinity Water (Central and East regions only), since 11 July 2026
- Cambridge Water, since 17 July 2026
- South West Water, since 8 August 2026
- Welsh Water (Parts of west Wales only), since 19 July 2026
- Wessex Water, since 18 August 2026
- Bristol Water

## Key facts

- A hosepipe ban is set by the water company, not the local council.
- Two houses on the same street can have different water companies and different rules.
- The maximum fine for breaching a Temporary Use Ban is 1,000 pounds, imposed by a court.
- Watering cans, buckets and collected rainwater are never restricted.
- Scotland (Scottish Water) and Northern Ireland (NI Water) have no Temporary Use Ban regime.

## Entry points

- Machine-readable status (JSON): https://hosepipeban.co.uk/api/status.json
- Postcode checker and national picture: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/
- Map of every supply area by status: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/map
- Is there a ban in my area: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/hosepipe-ban-in-my-area
- Hosepipe ban by town: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/hosepipe-ban
- Water company index and per-company status: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/company
- Rules and exemptions: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/rules
- 2026 season archive: https://hosepipeban.co.uk/hosepipe-bans-2026

Independent tracker, not a water company or regulator. Each company's own notice is the version that legally applies; every status links to the company's own source.