England Hosepipe Bans Still Affect Around 30 Million
Around 30 million people in England remained affected by temporary water-use bans in the Environment Agency’s report for 18–24 September 2026, updated on 25 September. If you are starting a new week, check your water supplier’s latest notice to see whether a ban covers your address and which uses it restricts.
Check your water supplier’s current notice
The report lists water companies with bans in all or part of their supply areas, including Thames Water, Anglian Water and South East Water. A company’s restriction may apply only to some customers, so its name alone does not confirm that a particular household is covered.
Use your supplier’s website or customer service channels to check the latest notice. Confirm your supply area or postcode, the date the notice applies, and the activities it covers. Follow the supplier’s wording for any exceptions or changes.
What the drought report says for 18–24 September
The Environment Agency said temporary-use bans were unchanged from the previous week. Ten agency areas remained in drought status, and 14 reservoirs or reservoir groups were less than half full.
These are related but different measures. An Environment Agency drought designation describes conditions in an agency area. A temporary-use ban is a restriction issued by a water supplier for customers in all or part of its supply area. One does not, by itself, establish whether a ban applies to your home.
What household restrictions can cover
The exact rules depend on the supplier’s notice. Temporary-use bans commonly concern specified uses of water supplied through a hosepipe, but the report’s headline figures do not set out every local rule or exception. Check the notice before using a hosepipe or assuming a particular activity is allowed.
The figures above describe the report period, not necessarily the situation today. Supplier restrictions can change, so the current notice for your supply area is the practical check before acting.
Source: Environment Agency
Context & actions About this article
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The figures describe conditions and restrictions reported for 18–24 September 2026; check your supplier for current local rules.
- Around 30 million people affected by unchanged temporary-use bans
- Ten Environment Agency areas in drought status
- Fourteen reservoirs or reservoir groups less than half full
- Source
- Environment Agency
- Scope
- England
- Updated
- 2026-10-16 09:14
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