It depends on your exact address in Bournemouth. We could not confirm a single verdict, so check your postcode.
Bournemouth's drinking water comes from Bournemouth Water, a South West Water trading name, drawing on the River Stour, the Hampshire Avon and chalk groundwater. Sewerage here is Wessex Water's, which is a separate company from the one whose hosepipe rules apply to you.
Last confirmed: no restrictions – checked 29 days ago.
We’re re-checking Bournemouth Water’s notice now, so we are not asserting that status today. Their own notice is authoritative. Check it before using a hosepipe.
Check with your supplier
Areas covered: The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation and surrounding parts of east Dorset and west Hampshire, covering the BH postcode area.
BWBournemouth Water·Status checked 28 days ago by hand·page dated 17 August 2026
We are an unofficial tracker, so Bournemouth Water’s own notice is the version that legally applies to you.
What a hosepipe ban prohibits, and the fine
Temporary Use Bans are made under section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, which lists the eleven prohibited uses at s.76(2). The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (SI 2010/2231) defines them. A company cannot add to that list, so the eleven uses below are the same in Bournemouth as anywhere else in England and Wales.
Watering a garden using a hosepipe
Cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe
Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe
Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe
The maximum is level 3 on the standard scale, currently £1,000, under section 76(5) of the Water Industry Act 1991. It is not a fixed penalty the company issues itself, and enforcement in practice begins with a warning.
What this means at your address
A hosepipe ban is set by your water company, not your council, and most bans cover only part of a company’s area. Bournemouth is billed by Bournemouth Water, so its rules are the ones that apply here, but the boundary can run through a town: your postcode is the only certain answer.
It depends on your exact address in Bournemouth. We could not confirm a single verdict, so check your postcode.
Which water company supplies Bournemouth?
Bournemouth is supplied by Bournemouth Water. Your water bill confirms your supplier, and a ban is set per company, not per town, so the boundary can run through a town.
What is the fine for breaking a hosepipe ban?
Up to 1,000 pounds, imposed by a magistrates' court on conviction, not a fixed penalty set by the water company. In practice enforcement starts with a warning.