South East Water bring in hosepipe ban for Kent
Around 850,000 customers will be impacted
A hosepipe ban has been introduced across Kent due to exceptionally high temperatures and unprecedented demand for water resources.
A Temporary Use Ban is now in effect for South East Water customers in Kent, which they say aims to protect essential water supplies during the ongoing heatwave.
Reasons for the restrictions
The under pressure water company says the hot weather has seen water demand across Kent skyrocket.
A statement on the website says:
"Following a sustained period of hot, dry weather, demand for water across Kent has reached exceptionally high levels. 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. These restrictions will be enforced from 00:01 on Friday, 3 July."
The Temporary Use Ban will be enforced from Friday, 3rd July.
What the restrictions entail
Under the hosepipe ban, residents are restricted from using hosepipes for purposes such as watering gardens, washing cars, cleaning patios and boats, and filling swimming and paddling pools.
South East Water say:
"We completely understand why everyone reaches for the hose when the weather gets this hot. It’s natural to want to enjoy our gardens and cool down, and we know how frustrating it is to hear that restrictions are coming into place.
"Our teams have worked incredibly hard to prepare for this summer, but the sheer scale of this sustained heatwave means water is being drawn from our storage tanks faster than it can physically be treated and refilled.
"Our absolute priority has to be making sure there is always enough water for everyone’s essential daily needs—like hygiene, drinking and cooking—and that we protect our vulnerable customers."