General questions
A Temporary Use Ban (TUB), also known as a hosepipe ban, is a restriction on using a hosepipe for household (domestic) customers.
A Non Essential Use Ban (NEUB) is a restriction on mains water use we can apply for under a Drought Order and implement when there is a threat of serious water shortages. It targets commercial and non-household water use and requires approval by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
This is an action included in our Water Resources Management Plan(opens in a new tab) and Drought Plan(opens in a new tab), but we do not take it lightly. We only apply and implement it under exceptional circumstances.
This is one of the last resorts to ensure we can continue to provide essential water for everyone.
The NEUB, if granted and implemented, would affect non-household and business customers in Sussex or a part of Sussex where we are the wholesale supplier for water. This includes businesses, commercial premises, public sector organisations, and all other non-domestic users.
On 24 October, we applied for a Non Essential Use Ban under a Drought Order. This is only an application, there are no guarantees it will be granted or needed. If granted, we would only implement it if the drought situation in Sussex becomes more severe. Although recent rainfall is helping, it hasn’t been enough to reverse the current conditions and we need to prepare should rainfall be lower than average for the rest of autumn and winter.
We will:
- Publish a notice in the local newspapers
- Post a message on our social media channels – Facebook and LinkedIn
- Write to local stakeholders including the Sussex Chamber of Commerce and local BIDs
- Write to water retailers
- Send out letters to non households and business customers in Sussex
- Write to the MP’s and councillors representing the communities we serve
- Brief our staff about the ban
- Update the dedicated webpage hosting useful information for businesses and other water users
Businesses that are likely to be most affected by a non essential use ban are those that rely heavily on large amounts of water for their day-to-day operations, particularly for cleaning and aesthetic purposes.
These include:
Vehicle washing services: Car washes, valeting services, and companies that clean fleets of commercial vehicles, boats, aircraft, and trains.
Cleaning and maintenance services: Businesses that specialise in cleaning the exterior of non-domestic premises, such as window cleaners, pressure washing services for patios and paths, and those who clean industrial plants.
Landscaping and horticultural businesses: Companies that maintain public or commercial green spaces, golf courses, and sports fields would be prohibited from using mains water. This would also affect businesses that sell and install newly laid turf, although some concessions may apply for a limited time.
Leisure and hospitality: Holiday parks and other leisure facilities with features like ornamental fountains, large gardens, or communal areas that require regular cleaning.
Construction and industrial sectors: Activities such as dust suppression on building sites, which is often done with mains water. This covers domestic and non-domestic areas where mains water is being used. However, this does not include suppressing dust for health and safety reasons.
The combination of factors experienced this year have been extraordinary - from record demand to prolonged periods of dry weather and a significant lack of rainfall. Although recent rainfall is helping, it isn’t enough to reverse the current conditions and we now need to prepare should rainfall be lower than 80 per cent of average rainfall for the rest of autumn and winter.
We have been communicating directly with our customers in affected areas to ask for voluntary restraint, but despite customers and our efforts, resources have continued to decline.
Sussex is supplied by groundwater, in aquifers far below our feet, and through two surface reservoirs at Ardingly and Arlington, which are much lower than we’d expect at this time of the year. Ardingly Reservoir is now at a critically low level as a result of the lack of rainfall over the last 8 months, and record demand in the summer.
We enforced hosepipe restrictions for customers in Kent and Sussex on 18 July and placed more restrictions on customers in Sussex on 17 October. This meant all exemptions that were previously in place were removed, except for ones that are for health and safety purposes. This has significantly reduced the demand for water, however it's still not enough.
While there has been rainfall since the end of August and more recently, it has not been enough to counteract the dry year we’ve experienced. We need at least 80 per cent of average rainfall from now until February 2026 for resources to fully recover. We’re all doing everything we can, but as water resources continue to decline, we now need to look at non-household customer restrictions as a potential next step should the situation get worse.
We have recently been granted a Drought Permit(opens in a new tab) for Ardingly Reservoir. The permit allows us to reduce the amount we release from the reservoir into the Shell Brook (the stream) and refill it earlier from the Upper Ouse, if river flows are high enough. We additionally applied for a Drought Order on the River Ouse(opens in a new tab) on 10 October, which, if granted, means we can reduce the amount of water we need to leave in the Lower Ouse, the part of the river below where we take water from to treat and pump to your taps. We have worked closely with Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England on the application and it will be seen by the Secretary of State for the Environment to make a decision on the granting of it.
There is a significant risk that without more than 80 per cent average rainfall, resources will decline without further intervention, meaning customers' supplies may experience widespread issues such as low pressure or no water. We need to take this precautionary step to make sure that we have the ability to further safeguard resources for our customers in what has been a drier autumn than usual so far.
We have not previously implemented a NEUB.
Yes. Businesses use around a third of all water supplied in the UK, so restrictions on commercial water use can make a significant difference to overall demand.
Businesses can buy borehole or untreated water from services such as Water Direct(opens in a new tab).
The restrictions will cover both metered and unmetered businesses.
Please note that you may only use specific hydrants located at strategic points as outlined by the standpipe hire scheme.
Please be aware that hydrants in Sussex have been temporarily suspended to aid in the recovery of water levels. This suspension does not affect other locations.
Finally, please ensure your standpipe is compliant with the hire scheme, is in proper working order, and is not wasting water.
Yes. The restrictions currently in place will remain in place for households in Kent and Sussex. The NEUB is an additional restriction that we are applying for and could implement for businesses and commercial premises in Sussex or part of Sussex where we are the wholesale supplier for water.
We announced that exemptions listed in the temporary use ban, except those that are for health and safety purposes, were being removed for household customers in Sussex at 0900 on 10 October 2025. The updated restrictions came into effect at 0001 on 17 October 2025. More information can be found here(opens in a new tab).
If implemented, the NEUB restrictions only apply to businesses in Sussex or part of Sussex where we are the wholesale supplier for water.
The exemptions to the temporary use ban still apply for those in Kent, and details of those can be found on our website(opens in a new tab).
There are no restrictions for customers we supply in Surrey, Hampshire or Berkshire, but we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation there.
Banned activities and concessions
Under a NEUB, the categories of mains water use which could be restricted are:
- Watering outdoor plants on commercial premises
- Filling or maintaining a non-domestic swimming pool, paddling pool or hot tub
- Filling or maintaining a pond
- Operating a mechanical vehicle washer
- Cleaning any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock
- Cleaning non-domestic premises
- Cleaning windows on non-domestic buildings
- Cleaning an industrial plant
- Suppressing dust
- Operating cisterns in unoccupied buildings
There will be flexibility to give concessions to the restrictions, based on the severity of the drought. Concessions would ease the difficulties for businesses, but we would only include them if the drought situation did not require tougher restrictions.
The full list of concessions that could be applied partially or in full are:
Watering outdoor plants on commercial premises
The restriction excludes:
- Plants grown or kept for sale or commercial use.
- Plants part of a national plant collection, temporary garden or flower display
Concessions could apply to:
- Newly bought plants
- If plants are watered with certain water-efficient apparatus drip/micro irrigation
Filling or maintaining a non-domestic swimming pool, paddling pool or hot tub
The restriction excludes:
- If the pool is open to the public. Please note, a pool is not open to the public if it’s only used by paying members of an affiliated club or organisation
- If the pool is being constructed
- If you are using a hand-held container which is filled with water directly from a tap to fill the swimming pool, paddling pool or hot tub
- If a pool that’s being designed, constructed or adapted for use during medical treatment
- If a pool is being used for decontaminating animals from infections or disease
- If fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
- If the pool is being used by pupils of a school for school swimming lessons
Concessions could apply to:
- Pools serving industrial training
- Pools with covers as evaporative losses low
- Pools with approved water conservation/recycling systems
- Pools subject to significant repair or renovation
Filling or maintaining a pond
The restriction excludes:
- Where fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
Operating a mechanical vehicle washer
Concessions could apply to:
- Washers that recycle less than 23 litres per wash
- If you need to operate a mechanical washer on biosecurity grounds
Cleaning any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock
The restrictions exclude:
- Health and safety reasons
Concessions could apply to:
- Where low water use technologies are being used
- To small businesses whose sole operations are to clean vehicles
- To those using vessels as a primary residence
- In cases where fouling of hulls causes increased fuel consumption
- If you are elderly or disabled
- If you need to remove graffiti
Cleaning non-domestic premises
The restriction excludes:
- Health and safety reasons
Concessions could apply to:
- To some businesses who may be reliant on building washing
- If you need to remove graffiti
- Where low water use technologies are being used
Cleaning windows on non-domestic buildings
The restriction excludes:
- Health and safety reasons
Concessions could apply to:
- To some businesses who may be reliant on building washing
- Where the cleaning apparatus is not connected to a mains supply
Cleaning industrial plant
The restriction excludes:
- Health and safety reasons
Concessions could apply to:
- If you need to remove graffiti
Suppressing dust
The restriction excludes:
- Health and safety reasons
Concessions apply:
- For nuisance control
Operating cisterns (including an automatic operated flushing cistern servicing a WC or urinal in a building that is unoccupied or closed)
Concessions could apply to:
- To charities, churches and not for profit organisations
The use of water from private supplies, such as boreholes, reservoirs or harvested rainwater, is not affected by a NEUB. Additionally, water-efficient systems like drip or trickle irrigation, which apply water directly to the soil, are permitted even when other forms of watering are banned.
However, you cannot use mains water to top up the water levels of a reservoir or borehole.
You cannot use a hosepipe connected to mains water for any of the prohibited activities listed above, even if this is for business purposes.
Compensation and bills
Whilst Non Essential Use Bans specifically target businesses, the underlying purpose is to maintain enough water for essential daily needs, support crucial economic activities and protect the environment during a drought. Therefore the uses which are banned are those which are likely to cause the minimum economic disruption to business, and so do not attract compensation upon the basis that they are non-essential.
However, compensation for service failures as set out within relevant GSS (Guaranteed Service Standards) remain applicable whereby fixed sums can be claimed or entitlements arise. It is also worth noting that losses outside those fixed sums are not recoverable, for example, economic losses such as loss of profit or revenue. This is because the statutory drought restriction process is one which responds to environmental conditions which are largely beyond the control of licensed water supply undertakers.
Businesses should direct any enquiries about their bill to their water retailer. If you are unsure who your water retailer is, you will be able to find this out in your latest bill.
Planning for the future
We are doing everything we can to balance supply and demand to protect water resources. We are moving water around our network to help transfer from areas with more water to those with less. We’re also fast-tracking several projects to make sure we can move water more easily around our network, taking the pressure off existing supply sources. This includes a significant water infrastructure project laying a new 17 kilometre pipeline from Bewl Water Treatment Works to drinking water storage tanks near Wadhurst and Rotherfield. This pipeline has been installed to improve the resilience and flexibility of the water supply network in East Sussex.
Like every water company, we also have a Drought Plan(opens in a new tab) that details what we will do at every stage based on water resource levels and triggers.
We are focussed on ensuring our water treatment works continue to work well and our technicians are working around the clock to treat as much water as possible overnight so we are ready each morning.
With the risk of a dry autumn and winter ahead, we have continued to ask customers to only use water for essential purposes: to drink and stay hydrated, to wash for hygiene and laundry and water to cook with.
Over the last year we have repaired over 18,000 leaks on our network - an increase of 12 per cent on the three-year average - and repaired over 6,000 leaks on our customers’ properties. This year we're fixing leaks 21 per cent quicker than we did last year. We've taken the time to fix a leak down from an average of just over 15 days, to just over 12 days. Between April and 24 September 2025 in Sussex, we have repaired 2,354 leaks, an increase of 14 per cent on last year.
We have implemented a leakage recovery strategy and as part of that, increased the number of staff out finding and fixing leaks, whilst investing in new leak detection technology, and new systems to improve the visibility of our pipeline network. We work with industry-leading specialists in leakage identification and management to continually improve our data for better leak repair and prioritisation.
We currently spend around £40 million a year finding and fixing leaks across our network and this is increasing. We have ambitious plans to halve the amount of leakage by 2050 to 44 million litres a day.
Yes – we are meeting regularly with other companies.
The short answer is that it's much more complex than it sounds. Unlike the electricity network, the UK does not have a single, joined-up water system. Instead, our water supply is managed on a regional basis by different companies. We each have our own network of reservoirs, rivers, and boreholes to serve our local area. While some limited connections exist, there isn't a "superhighway" of pipes to move vast amounts of water from the north and west to the south and east.
To move water across the country, we would need to build powerful pumping stations, which would require a huge amount of energy, and would have a significant impact on the environment. Moving water between different natural river basins also risks spreading invasive non-native species (INNS), which could damage ecosystems and cause significant long-term problems. We are doing our best to move water around the network where and when we can.
Instead of relying on a reactive, last-minute approach, we are focused on long-term, sustainable solutions to secure your water supply for the future. These include building new reservoirs, such as the ones planned in Broad Oak, near Canterbury and another at Arlington in Sussex, fixing leaks and promoting water efficiency.
Every five years we update our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) which looks at how we’ll keep your taps running while striking that delicate balance between protecting the environment and keeping bills affordable. Normally we look 25 years into the future, but because the south east faces a number of unique challenges we’ve looked 50 years ahead to 2075. By doing this we can make sure the work we do now lays the best foundation for future generations. You can find out more by visiting here(opens in a new tab).
Plants and green spaces
If you’re growing these flowers to sell or for commercial use, then you can continue to water these with mains water. We would, however, encourage the use of a watering can or other water efficient devices such as drip or trickle irrigation systems. These systems come with pressure-reducing valves and timers, making them more water-efficient.
If you have a flowerbed on your premises which isn’t for sale, then you cannot use mains water for this.
Please note, filling displayed ornamental fountains with mains water is also prohibited unless this is necessary to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in a pond to keep fish healthy.
No, you cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler connected to mains water to water plants that are newly-planted such as trees and flowers or to water newly-laid turf.
Under the Temporary Use Ban (TUB) in place in Sussex, there is an exemption that allows you to use a hosepipe to water an area of grass or outdoor artificial surfaces used for sport or recreation (on the active strip/playing area only – not the whole grounds), for health and safety reasons, to protect the safety of the players. Watering should be undertaken outside of daily peak hours that occur 8 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 9 pm.
For golf courses, the active strip encompasses greens and tees but does not cover fairways. Therefore, a hosepipe should not be used to water fairways. There is also an exemption if you use drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure-reducing valve and a timer that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist; a fixed watering system; or you use watering cans and not hoses.
If a sports facility has a private reservoir, they should not use a hosepipe connected to mains water to top up the water levels.
You cannot use a hosepipe connected to the mains water supply. This includes using a sprinkler or automatic irrigation system attached to a hose. You are still allowed to fill up watering cans and buckets from a communal tap on your allotment site and use them to water your crops. This is the most common way to water during a ban. Any rainwater you collect in a water butt is not subject to the ban, as it doesn't come from the mains water supply. This is a great, eco-friendly way to keep your plot watered.
Cleaning and maintenance
As a commercial window cleaning business, you cannot use mains water to clean windows, other than for health and safety reasons. If you are not connected to a mains supply, then there are no restrictions.
Road sweepers often use large-diameter standpipes from defined depots, making their water usage case-specific. The purpose of the water use (e.g., public health near a hospital versus dust suppression) and where the water is obtained from may mean some activities are not included in the restrictions, see Banned Activities and Concessions section above for what is and isn’t included.
Local authorities
You cannot fill or maintain an ornamental fountain/water feature with mains water while the ban is in place.
During the period of the ban, hosepipes and sprinklers connected to mains water cannot be used for watering floral beds or displays or hanging baskets in public locations. However, this does not include plants grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or are part of a National Collection or temporary garden display. There is also a concession that could be applied for new plants or a water efficient system is used, such as drip / microirrigation.
We appreciate that local authorities do take their own role in using water as carefully as possible. If activities, such as public garden maintenance or watering town centre floral displays, can be done using alternative means, such as using watering cans, or alternative more water efficient products, then this is welcomed.
You can’t use mains water for this. We would recommend using alternatives such as a watering can or products such as drip or trickle irrigation systems, fitted with pressure reducing valves and timers, making them more water-efficient.
A play pool area in a council park that is open to the public is not included in the restrictions and can still be used. If the pool has water fountains the following applies: if the fountain operates by recycling a small amount of water drawn from the same body of water into which it pours water then this can continue to be operated. If, however, it needs to be replenished with mains water, you cannot use it while restrictions are in place.
Where the graffiti is a hate crime, insulting or offensive, mains water can be used to remove this from walls and buildings.
Vehicles
No, you cannot use mains water to clean any vehicle unless for health and safety reasons such as cleaning number plates, windows and headlights.
You wouldn’t be able to use mains water for this. You would need to find an alternative way to keep the vehicle clean such as using harvested rainwater.
You wouldn’t be able to use mains water for this. You would need to find an alternative way to keep the cars clean such as harvested rainwater.
Limousines are affected. They would need to be washed with water from another source, such as harvested rainwater.
No, you cannot wash any vehicles using a jet wash or hosepipe connected to mains water other than for health and safety reasons. You can still use harvested rainwater in a bucket or waterless car washing products that are now available.
No. Commercial car washes cannot use mains water or any type of machine connected to mains water to clean cars or other vehicles while a NEUB is in place. Cars would need to be washed with another source such as harvested rainwater.
Farms
Your commercial agricultural activities will not be affected by the ban but you must observe all of the prohibited uses in your home and garden as per the Temporary Use Ban. We would still encourage you to consider saving water and explore water-saving methods such as using harvested rainwater on your farm. We also continue to encourage farms to continue checking and fixing leaks on troughs, connections and pipework and take regular meter readings to help you identify leaks quicker.
We also ask you to register any abstraction(opens in a new tab) you have that may go above 20m3/day with the Environment Agency.
Have a look at our website to find out more about how we work with farmers and landowners.
Yes. You can still use mains water to fill a trough during the ban.
Animals
You can use mains water to clean animals and their areas, e.g. yard or stable. We would encourage you to be as efficient as possible when you do this.
If there is a risk to the welfare of the animal, and cleaning them cannot be reasonably done by other means, then yes, you can use a hosepipe in that instance.
Yes. You should keep your pond topped up to a minimum level to safeguard the fish but please remember that tap water needs conditioning before it is used to top up a pond.
Hospitals, prisons, education and care homes
Schools and universities must not use mains water for any activity that isn't considered essential. This includes watering the non-playing area of sports fields and decorative areas (such as ornamental gardens), non-essential cleaning (such as cleaning the outside of buildings and footpaths) and topping up water features that are not essential for wildlife and cannot be refilled using other water sources. You can continue using mains water for health and safety reasons and for core academic functions. This means schools and universities can continue to use water for sanitation and hygiene (such as toilets, kitchens) and academic activities (such as in science labs and research facilities).
However, we do recommend that they continue to use water mindfully until we are confident that resources have replenished to levels we are happy with.
No. Hospitals and prisons are not included in the restrictions. If certain activities are still needed, like maintaining public gardens, we would encourage more water efficient methods such as using a watering can or other water saving systems.
Yes. Under the restrictions, you cannot use mains water for any of the restricted activities, which means you cannot water for non-essential purposes like watering the communal garden or cleaning the building’s exterior. Instead you should use alternative methods such as harvested rainwater.
Pools and water fountains
Pools with religious significance are allowed to operate normally and you can use mains water to top up the levels if necessary as they are not included in the restrictions.
While there are some activities not included in the restrictions, such as for fountains that provide oxygen to a fishpond or have religious significance, ornamental fountains and water features are considered a non-essential recreational use of water and would fall under the NEUB restrictions.
Pools that are restricted to members only e.g. hotel pool, private leisure club etc. fall under the restrictions and you would not be able to use mains water to top up water levels.
However, there are some concessions that could be applied, such as for pools serving industrial training (i.e for cabin crew training or underwater operations), pools subject to significant repair and renovation and pools with approved water conservation/recycling systems. Additionally, if a pool is being used for medical treatment, to keep fish and for school swimming lessons, then mains water may be used to top up the levels.
You will not be able to use mains water to maintain or fill the hot tubs.
The ban prohibits the filling of all domestic swimming pools, unless it is done with a water conservation recycling system or by hand held container. However, there is a concession that could be applied where you can use mains water if you are filling or maintaining a permanent pool where necessary in the course of construction, where it is needed for medical treatment or in places of worship or part of religious ceremonies. Ideally, water from pools that need to be refurbished or repaired should be retained in a temporary structure.
No. The ban prohibits the filling of all non-domestic swimming pools, unless it is done with a water conservation recycling system or by hand held container. However, there is a concession that could be applied where you can use mains water if you are filling or maintaining a permanent pool where necessary in the course of construction, where it is related to medical treatment or in places of worship or part of religious ceremonies.
Staying updated
Businesses can stay up to date about our NEUB Drought Order application and any subsequent changes to it through our website, through water retailers and local media outlets.
If you have any questions about this application and pay your bills to a Water Retailer, please call our Wholesale Service Desk on 0333 000 0018.
If you are a domestic customer and running a business from your home and pay your bills directly to South East Water, please call our Customer Services team on 0333 000 0001.