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Hosepipe bans are now in place for parts of the country.

South East Water Imposes Hosepipe Ban in Kent from 25 June 2026

South East Water has announced a temporary hosepipe ban for customers in Kent, effective from the 25th June 2026. The company confirmed the restriction would be publicly announced at 09:00 on 25 June 2026, with legal enforcement beginning at 00:01 on the 3rd July 2026.

The ban follows record-breaking demand for water during a prolonged heatwave, which has placed significant strain on local supplies. South East Water is the only UK water company to have issued a hosepipe ban so far in June 2026.

What’s Banned?
Under the restrictions, it is illegal to use a hosepipe for:

Watering gardens, allotments, or plants.
Cleaning vehicles (including driveways).
Filling or topping up swimming pools, ponds, or fountains.
Washing windows or outdoor surfaces.
Fines of up to £1,000 may apply for repeat offenders.

Why Now?
Southern England has experienced below-average rainfall for 18 months, with reservoirs and groundwater levels critically low. The Environment Agency has warned that without immediate action, water restrictions could spread across the South East.

How to Adapt
Gardeners are encouraged to use water butts to collect rainwater and adopt drought-resistant gardening practices. 

A 227 litre water butt kit is a practical and environmentally-friendly addition to any garden. Here’s why it’s worth considering:

1. Reliable water supply for your garden
A water butt provides a steady source of water for watering plants, even during hosepipe bans in summer. This means your garden stays healthy without relying on mains water during dry spells.

2. Saves money and reduces water waste
By collecting and reusing rainwater, you cut down on your water bills and lower your household’s overall water usage. This is especially useful for tasks like watering plants, cleaning outdoor spaces, or even washing gardening tools.

3. Supports sustainable living
Using a water butt helps you play a part in water conservation. Since daily water usage has nearly tripled since 1950, capturing rainwater is a simple way to reduce your environmental footprint and promote a more sustainable lifestyle.

4. Easy to use and efficient
The 227 litre kit is designed to be space-efficient and durable.

Water butts available to order here

Water Butts - small water butts, large water butts, water butt planters and wall mounted – Gardenis.co.uk

Buy a shed and get a 12% off water butt discount. 

Apply at checkout discount code WB200D6OCT for 10% off the bestselling 200 litre water butt double kit - 400 litres total. 

Two new water butt double kit sizes now available.

As autumn rolls in with its cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather, a water butt can be a nice addition to your garden.

The government has issued advice on how to save water, due to very low levels in some parts of the country. Five regions are officially in drought. Top of the list is to get a water butt, to save rainwater to water the garden with. See the water butt section in the menu above, to order one if you want. Various sizes available. 

The last on the list was more obscure. Delete emails to reduce storage memory being used, as data centres use a lot of water to keep cool.

Today a hosepipe ban was announced for the Yorkshire region, and it is expected to last until winter. In previous years when hosepipe bans have been announced there has been a surge of water butt orders, with some sizes going out of stock, and longer delivery times. If you want to catch any falling rain and store it for watering your garden, a water butt kit that fits onto your drainpipe works great. Various sizes are for sale in the water butts category. 

https://www.gardenis.co.uk/collections/water-butts

BBC article

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk661074ejo