News / save water
Hosepipe ban in force for millions of households - is your area affected?
Hosepipe bans are now in place for parts of the country.
Kent hosepipe ban
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
Drought tolerant plants for your garden
Garden plants that are drought tolerant can reduce the need for watering during the summer. Trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials etc.
Two new sizes for water butt double kits
Two new water butt double kit sizes now available.
Water shortage
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.
Large green 350 litre water butts now available again
What are the benefits of having a water butt in autumn and winter?
Although the main benefit of having a water kit is to save water in summer, to water the lawn, veg patch and flowers. They do have some benefits in the autumn and winter months when there is a lot more rain.
Firstly, if you have a water meter installed, you will want to use the mains taps as infrequently as possible, to save money. So, you can use the water in your water butts to fill buckets to hand-wash the car, or for mopping floors, cleaning greenhouse glass panels, patios etc.
Another more communal benefit, is how it can slow the flow of water going down drains during periods of heavy rain, which can increase flood risk, and also use of sewage outflow pipes into rivers. (During high rainfall periods, these pipes are used to prevent waste water backing up pipes.)
An Olympic swimming pool holds 2.5 million litres of water. If 6,300 homes , of a small town, all installed a 200 litre water butt double kit, (400 litres total), it would save 2.52 million litres from going straight into the drain network, during a heavy downpour. With an Olympic swimming pool worth of water saved in the water butts, this could lower the risk of some local flooding, and reduce the use of a nearby sewage outflow pipe into the river.
200 litre water butt double kit, available to buy here;
https://www.gardenis.co.uk/products/200-litre-water-butt-kit-double-200-litre-water-butt-kit
Image - Wiki creative commons / Kallerna
Raindrops DON'T keep falling on my head
I was just thinking earlier that it doesn't seem to have rained that much this winter, and also there seems to be a lot less wind. Where I live in Northumberland, It's always breezy (or gale force!), a still day is a rarity in autumn and winter. However, unless I am just imagining it, there seems to have been a lot of very still days and nights. No windy sounds over the roof at night.
Although, further north than the rest of England, it doesn't rain that much, like Cumbria to the west. The summer drought map showed the eastern half of the country was yellow regardless of whether it was north or south, and the west was greener. However, there is still plenty of wet days in winter, but this year it doesn't seem to have rained much.
I just did a search in the news section, and there is a report from Norfolk, stating that, there might be hosepipe restrictions this summer, if it doesn't rain more soon. North Norfolk News 9th Feb 2023 - 'Data on the water authority's website shows reservoir storage is below target for this time of year, being 80.6pc full, and groundwater sources are said to be ‘below normal’.'
Last summer it went crazy with orders, when the govt announced a drought in parts of the country. After just a few days I had to stop selling for weeks (unfortunately), as the manufacturer was trying to keep up with making new ones, and these are not eggcups, they are big and bulky, and take time to move about warehouses, and the country. So, if you are considering getting water butts this year, my top tip is to order now or early spring, when it is a lot quieter, rather than wait until the grass is brown, the news is talking about hosepipe bans, and there is a big wait for delivery slots.
