Southern Water customers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will face hosepipe restrictions from 12.01am on Friday 10 July 2026, as the company responds to exceptionally dry weather and falling river levels.
Southern Water says the temporary restrictions have become necessary following the warmest spring on record, followed by a prolonged heatwave that has left river levels around 25 per cent lower than would normally be expected at this time of year.
The company says the situation is particularly severe on the River Test, where water levels have fallen by around a third in the past month. The decline is placing increasing pressure on water treatment and supplies, prompting the introduction of temporary restrictions to help protect both the River Test and the River Itchen while ensuring enough water remains available for essential household use.
Under the restrictions, customers must not use a hosepipe for non-essential purposes. This includes watering gardens and lawns, operating sprinklers, washing cars, cleaning patios, driveways and windows, or filling paddling pools, hot tubs, swimming pools, ornamental ponds and fountains.
Essential household water use is unaffected. Customers can continue using water for drinking, cooking, bathing, showering and washing clothes, while watering cans and buckets may still be used in place of a hosepipe. Commercial car washes are also exempt from the restrictions.
Southern Water has confirmed that some customers will be exempt from the hosepipe ban. This includes people with certain medical or mobility needs who are registered on the company’s Priority Services Register, as well as eligible Blue Badge holders and customers receiving support through the WaterSure tariff.
The water company is urging everyone to reduce their water use wherever possible and avoid unnecessary hosepipe use to help conserve supplies during the current dry conditions.
Customers unsure whether they are affected can check their postcode using Southern Water’s online postcode checker.
Southern Water says the temporary restrictions will remain in place only for as long as necessary and will be lifted once reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers have recovered sufficiently to meet customer demand.
At a Glance
- Restrictions begin: Friday 10 July 2026 at 12.01am
- Affected areas: Southern Water customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
- Reason: Exceptionally low river levels following prolonged dry weather and record-breaking heat
- Permitted: Normal household water use, watering cans and buckets
- Prohibited: Hosepipe use for gardens, vehicles, patios, windows, paddling pools, hot tubs and other non-essential activities
- Exemptions: Eligible Priority Services Register customers, certain people with medical or mobility needs, Blue Badge holders and WaterSure tariff customers