Home / Bristol Hosepipe Ban in Bristol 2026 Published: 25 July 2026 · Updated: 16 September 2026
Bristol is served by 2 different water companies, and a ban is set per company, not per county. The county is genuinely the wrong unit of answer: your postcode decides.
Wessex Water has a ban in force. Bristol Water has a ban in force. Which of these applies at your address depends on which one bills you.
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 18 August 2026
Ends Until further notice Areas covered: The entire Wessex Water water-supply area: Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, with parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire.
WW Wessex Water · Status checked just now · page dated 17 August 2026
We are an unofficial tracker, so Wessex Water’s own notice is the version that legally applies to you.
You cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler at home. A watering can or bucket is still fine, and the maximum fine is £1,000.
Areas covered: The Bristol Water supply area covering Bristol and the surrounding area.
BW Bristol Water · Status checked just now
We are an unofficial tracker, so Bristol Water’s own notice is the version that legally applies to you.
Useful for a hosepipe ban Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Why neighbours can differ Supply boundaries follow historical infrastructure, not county lines, so parts of Bristol can sit under different companies with different rules on the same day. The supplier on your water bill is the one whose rules apply.
The 2026 season Every ban and appeal this year: who declared, when, and for how long.
Season archive → Rules and exemptions Watering cans are never restricted, most companies exempt drip systems and new turf, and the maximum fine is £1,000.
What a ban actually stops →