Southern Water has applied to Defra for a Drought Order and a Non-Essential Use Ban covering Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. A public consultation ran from 4 to 11 August 2026.
This is an application, not a decision. A Drought Order needs the Secretary of State's approval, and the Secretary of State can refuse it. Nothing here is in force, and it may never be.
It is also aimed at businesses, not households. If granted, a Non-Essential Use Ban would stop non-domestic uses such as filling business swimming or paddling pools, operating mechanical vehicle washers and cleaning windows commercially. It does not touch the household hosepipe ban Southern Water already has in force across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and it does not change whether you can use a hosepipe at home.
In the company's own words: "Due to the ongoing dry weather, and following the declaration of drought in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, we have reached the trigger level requiring us to apply to Defra for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban in these areas."
The application covers Hampshire and the Isle of Wight only. Southern Water's Sussex and Kent customers are not within its stated area.