Affinity Water's restriction covers Central and East regions only, and we cannot place WD on either side of that boundary.
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).
AWAffinity Water·Status checked just now
We are an unofficial tracker, so Affinity 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 Watford 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. Watford is billed by Affinity 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.
Whatever the status, a watering can, a bucket and collected rainwater are never restricted. See what you can still do and how the fine works.