South East Water said demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex hit record levels in June
By Hamish Mureddu-Reid
BBC News
A hosepipe and sprinkler ban affecting South East Water customers across Kent and Sussex is now being enforced with fines of up to £1,000.
People are banned from using hosepipes to water gardens, clean cars, patios and boats, and fill swimming pools.
South East Water said it had no choice after demand for drinking water hit record levels in June.
The firm said the ban is to “protect the water supply” for all its customers in Kent and Sussex.
A so-called Temporary Usage Ban was announced by the company on 16 June but could only be enforced after 10 days. It means from Monday rule-breakers face a £1,000 fine “until further notice”.
South East Water said the ban affects everyone in Kent and Sussex who is supplied by the company, including businesses who may be billed by another firm.
There are a series of exemptions, which can be found on South East Water’s website.
The firm, which supplies 2.2m customers across Kent, Sussex and parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, has come under-fire recently after about 4,000 customers faced days without water, or reduced pressure.
Elsewhere, there is also a ban across Cornwall and in parts of Devon, including the Colliford and Roadford areas, according to South West Water’s website.
In a letter to customers last week, South East Water CEO David Hinton blamed people working from home for water shortages in the region.
He said demand in commuter towns had swelled by about 20% over a short period of time which had put the existing infrastructure under stress.
Other factors including low rainfall and periods of recent hot weather had also placed a strain on water supplies, Mr Hinton added.
Customers said the real problem was the company’s lack of investment, and a petition has been set up calling for a change of ownership at South East Water.
In his letter to customers, Mr Hinton wrote: “We are confident, with our customers’ help, that we can improve the reliability of the water supply in the short to medium-term.”
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