12/07/2025
We’re restricting the use of hosepipes for customers in Kent and Sussex.
Demand for water is the highest we have ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres on 30 June 2025.
This is 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer. On days like this, we’re pumping enough water to supply an additional 4 towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.
We’ve tried everything possible to avoid these restrictions. Despite your help to save water, and our ongoing efforts to manage our water resources, including launching a comprehensive strategy to find and tackle leaks, our reservoir and underground water storage levels are really low.
We’re really grateful to everyone who has been making simple changes at home to save water where you can, and we’re now asking you to hang up your hosepipes for a little while to make sure that there is enough water for all, and to protect the environment.
We understand you may have some questions about the restrictions. You can find detailed FAQs on our website here: https://orlo.uk/TJcYt
We also continue to monitor the situation in our Western region, where we serve customers in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.
Thank you for your understanding.
[Image description: close up image of a person's hand holding a green hosepipe trigger gun, with the words 'Hosepipe restrictions in Kent and Sussex' on a black and red background. The South East Water logo is in the top left hand corner, and the words 'Important notice' and a graphic of a yellow hosepipe with a red no entry sign around it, are in the top right hand corner.]
