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Anglian Water has implemented its first hosepipe ban in ten years, prompted by persistently hot and dry weather affecting the East of England. While the restrictions officially come into effect from 01:00 BST on Saturday, customers are encouraged to start conserving water immediately to help safeguard local supplies. This move follows similar actions by other providers, with Cambridge Water imposing its first ban in three decades and Affinity Water scheduling restrictions from 17 July for Hertfordshire and nearby areas.
The ban, formally known as a “temporary use ban,” restricts the domestic use of hosepipes for activities such as filling paddling pools or hot tubs, washing cars and windows, and watering gardens. However, Anglian Water has clarified that watering fruit, vegetables, and gardens with watering cans remains permissible. Commercial customers are also urged to minimize water use, particularly by refraining from washing company vehicles.
Anglian Water services parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. The East Anglia region has been identified as the driest in the UK, having experienced only 39% of the anticipated rainfall during the spring—marking it as the second driest spring on record. These conditions, combined with record-high temperatures, have resulted in increased water demand. As a result, many local rivers are at unusually low levels, and reservoir capacities are below average.
Dr Geoff Darch, head of strategic asset planning at Anglian Water, highlighted the ongoing challenges, noting that teams are working around the clock to maintain water supply. He said, “Understandably, customers have wanted to stay cool and have fun in the sun, but the unrelenting conditions are placing the environment and water supplies under increasing strain.” He added, “We are now at the point where we need to ask customers to help by hanging up the hosepipe, letting lawns go brown, cars go dirty and using water even more wisely.” The company has also joined water-saving campaigns to promote responsible usage and has invested substantial funds to enhance regional resilience against dry periods.
Reflecting on the wider impact, the Environment Agency reported that parts of East Anglia remain under prolonged dry weather conditions, shortly after leaving drought recovery status in March. They highlighted early irrigation needs for spring crops due to dry soils and emphasized that water resources are under significant pressure from climate change. The agency explained, “Dry weather depletes our water, and hot weather means we use more of it.” Temporary bans like these aim to maintain water in the environment longer, which is crucial for rivers and wildlife health in the region
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