{"id":531917,"date":"2026-07-03T23:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531917\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:50:11","slug":"southern-water-hosepipe-ban-new-hosepipe-ban-confirmed-as-millions-of-britons-told-to-stop-using-water-immediately","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531917\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern Water hosepipe ban: New hosepipe ban confirmed as millions of Britons told to stop using water immediately"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new hosepipe ban has been confirmed as millions of Britons have been told to stop using water immediately.<\/p>\n

Southern Water informed around one million of its customers the restriction will prohibit them from filling paddling pools and watering their plants.<\/p>\n

It will formally come into force a week from today, on July 10, for its residents across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.<\/p>\n

However, the residents have put in a plea to halt hosepipe usage immediately “to avoid putting the network under further pressure”. <\/p>\n

Following the June heatwave with scorching temperatures, river levels across the south east have dropped to lower levels than normal for this time of year.<\/p>\n

Water bosses instructed customers to not water their plants, clean cars or fill children’s paddling pools. <\/p>\n

Buckers or watering cans should be used instead.<\/p>\n

The water firm warned that, without “significant” rainfall from now until autumn, the ban could last up until September.<\/p>\n

\"Hosepipe<\/p>\n

The latest ban is the second this summer<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

Last year, same company enforced a hosepipe ban which took place from mid-July until October 2025.<\/p>\n

This morning, Southern Water said: “The warmest spring on record, followed by a record-breaking heatwave, has left river levels 25 per cent lower than expected for this time of year.<\/p>\n

“The River Test has lost a third of its water within the last month, putting pressure on our ability to treat and supply your water.<\/p>\n

“To protect local rivers, including the River Test and Itchen that supply most of your water, and to keep taps flowing we need to introduce restrictions.”<\/p>\n

\"\\u200bTheThe hosepipe ban will be brought in for millions | PA<\/p>\n

Paul Vignaux, the executive director of the Test and Itchen Association, said: “We have no reservoirs here and all the water comes from the river or from the aquifer.<\/p>\n

“And effectively, if you take water from our rivers and aquifers, you’re taking water from nature.”<\/p>\n

South East Water confirmed it would also impose a hosepipe ban, which will take effect on Friday for its Kentish customers.<\/p>\n

They made the move after Britain endured scorching temperatures last month, breaking heatwave records.<\/p>\n

But the upcoming ban impacting millions of Britons could stir up some further disgruntlement with Britain’s water companies, many of whom have argued they need to raise bills.<\/p>\n

Southern Water attracted controversy when it recorded 269 pollution incidents two years ago.<\/p>\n

Back in 2021, the firm was forced to swallow a \u00a390million fine for dumping raw sewage into the sea.<\/p>\n

More recently, South East Water, which covers households across Kent and Surrey, received furious backlash from Tunbridge Wells customers. <\/p>\n

Some 24,000 homes were left without drinkable water for a fortnight, leaving families in the lurch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new hosepipe ban has been confirmed as millions of Britons have been told to stop using water…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":531918,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[51952,246,61,60,43,82,35368],"class_list":["post-531917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-across-the-uk","tag-environment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-science","tag-south-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=531917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/531918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=531917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=531917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=531917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}