You cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler at home. A watering can or bucket is still fine, and the maximum fine is £1,000.
Started
23 July 2026
Ends
Until further notice
Areas covered: The whole Thames Water drinking-water supply area, covering London, the Thames Valley and the home counties. Customers Thames Water serves for wastewater only, and customers supplied with drinking water by another company, are not affected.
TWThames Water·Status checked just now·page dated 24 July 2026
You cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler at home. A watering can or bucket is still fine, and the maximum fine is £1,000.
Kent
from 3 July 2026
Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire
from 25 July 2026
Areas covered: The entire South East Water supply area, under two separate legal notices. Kent has been in force since 00:01 on Friday 3 July 2026. Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire come into force at 00:01 on Saturday 25 July 2026.
Affinity Water's restriction covers Central and East regions only, and we cannot place RG on either side of that boundary.
Check with your supplier
Affinity Water's ban covers only part of its supply area, and your postcode could be on either side of the boundary. Check Affinity Water's own affected-area list before using a hosepipe.
Across the whole of Affinity Water, the status is ban in force. Your area is the answer above.
Central region
from 11 July 2026
East region
date not published
Areas covered: Affinity Water's Central region (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, parts of London and Essex) and its East region (the Tendring peninsula of north-east Essex).
We are an unofficial tracker, so Affinity Water’s own notice is the version that legally applies to you.
Which of these applies to you?
RG (Reading) splits between Thames Water, South East Water and Affinity Water. All three have a ban in force or starting. Confirm your supplier on your water bill.