The Environment Agency has declared more areas in England in drought after a record dry July - almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August.

Following the Environment Agency’s announcement of drought across the East Anglian area, Essex & Suffolk Water is introducing a Temporary Use Ban, also known as a hosepipe ban, for customers across the entire supply area.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has thanked customers across mid and south Ceredigion, north Pembrokeshire and north Carmarthenshire for reducing their water use following the introduction of a Temporary Hosepipe Ban.

Half of England has been declared in drought by the Environment Agency - seven areas of the countare ry now officially in drought after record low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures.

The Government has rejected the call for water companies to be statutory consultees on all major planning decisions in the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee drought report Surviving drought: reclaim the rain’ published in May 2026.

Following the driest spring in years, three official heatwaves, record temperatures and sustained high demand, Thames Water is introducing a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), also known as a hosepipe ban, for all customers it supplies with drinking water.

Independent analysis by Public First, commissioned by Water UK, finds that England will only have enough water for 420,000 of the Government's target of 1.5 million homes it has pledged to deliver this Parliament.

The Environment Agency has confirmed that more areas in England now in Prolonged Dry Weather status - all of East Anglia, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire have now moved to this status, following continued dry conditions.

South East Water is introducing temporary restrictions on the use of hosepipes introduced across South East Water's supply areas in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire; customers in the company’s Kent supply area are already subject to temporary hosepipe restrictions.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has warned that it is likely to introduce a ‘hosepipe ban’ this weekend across Mid and South Ceredigion, together with parts of North Pembrokeshire and North Carmarthenshire, unless exceptionally high water demand reduces over the coming days.