Overview
- Essex & Suffolk Water announced a Temporary Use Ban that takes effect at 00:01 on Monday 3 August and has asked customers to cut non‑essential outdoor water use immediately.
- The Environment Agency has formally declared drought in multiple English regions because of prolonged low rainfall, very low river flows, dry soils and repeated heatwaves.
- More than 24 million people are now under company-imposed hosepipe restrictions after nine suppliers introduced TUBs to curb watering gardens, washing vehicles and filling pools.
- Hosepipe bans are enforced by water companies under the Water Industry Act, carry fines of up to £1,000 for breaches and include exemptions for health, mobility, animal welfare and some business uses.
- Reservoirs and groundwater are well below seasonal norms, with Hanningfield cited as exceptionally low, and companies warn that continued hot, dry weather could widen or extend restrictions similar to the last Essex & Suffolk ban in 1997.