The Hosepipe Ban is Here - and Yes, It's Still On Even if It's Raining!
You may have noticed the clouds rolling back in this week. Before you reach for the hosepipe in celebration, we have some news: the ban is still very much in force.
Wessex Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban on Tuesday 18 August: the first hosepipe ban in the region in fifty years. The last time this happened was 1976, which means many people here have never experienced one before, and may not realise its significance.
The reason for the ban is straightforward: record-breaking heatwaves and a prolonged drought have pushed water demand above average, affecting millions of people across the country. The odd shower this week doesn't change that because reservoirs take considerably longer to recover than the average garden, and until Wessex Water lifts the ban officially, the rules apply.
What you cannot do:
Using a mains-fed hosepipe for any of the following is currently prohibited:
Watering gardens or plants
Cleaning your car
Washing patios, paths, or driveways
Cleaning windows
Filling paddling pools or domestic swimming pools
What you can still do:
Water from a water butt or recycled source is fine, so butt lovers, now is your moment. Health, safety, and animal welfare needs are exempt, and commercial operations like nurseries and agriculture have their own arrangements.
For specific circumstances, please check the Wessex Water website at wessexwater.co.uk/hosepipe-ban.
Making the most of it—try something new!
The ban is a good excuse to pick up some habits that may be worth keeping longer term.
For the garden: Put a bucket in the shower while you wait for the water to heat up, it fills quickly and your plants will appreciate it the cool water even if you don't. Let the water from boiling pasta or vegetables cool completely before using it on the garden (the nutrients are a bonus). Water at the base of plants rather than the leaves, in the early morning or late evening when evaporation is lowest. And if you can get hold of some bark or compost mulch, spreading it around your soil will help trap what moisture there is.
Additional ideas: Take the four-minute shower challenge—put on a song on, and try to finish before it does. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth (though arguably less fun, it can save up to 6 litres a minute, which adds up). Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they're completely full. And use the small button on the dual flush when you can. If you'd like to know just how much water your household actually uses (and the answer may surprise you), check out Waterwise, which includes a water impact widget to calculate how much water we use daily, and suggests small changes that can make a big difference.
A brief moment of perspective
That 1976 drought was so severe that the government appointed a Minister for Drought and standpipes appeared in the street. We are nowhere near that, but the current ban serves as a reminder that water is not infinitely available, even in England, and that the summer of 2026 has been genuinely extraordinary. For full details and updates on when the ban may be lifted, visit wessexwater.co.uk/hosepipe-ban.
Principle Six of the Poundbury Seven: Steward the Place You Live. Sometimes that starts with a watering can.