Kent hosepipe ban comes in
If you break the ban you could be fined up to £1000
South East Water's hosepipe ban for Kent is now in force.
The firm says it has been brought in following the hot weather and near record levels of demand.
If you use your hosepipe to water your garden, clean your car or to fill a paddling pool - you could now be fined up to a thousand pounds.
The company says, on its website, “While we’ve worked to sustain supplies, the continued pressure on our network means we now need to reduce non-essential water use.
Introducing a Temporary Use Ban will help protect local water resources and ensure we can continue to provide a reliable supply of drinking water to customers and essential services across the county.
We’re asking everyone across the county to please follow these restrictions straight away, to help us protect local water supplies.”
South East Water also says “We find our customers are very supportive and understanding of the need to save water. If a customer contravenes the prohibition, it is an offence and if convicted the customer could face a fine of up to £1,000. However, prosecution is very much a last resort and something no company wants to have to do. Instead, we are asking for people’s help as we are restoring our water levels.”