Understand
South East Water extends Sussex hosepipe ban to vulnerable customers and commercial users
Overview
South East Water is extending its hosepipe ban across Sussex from 8 October by removing previous exemptions for vulnerable people on its register, though health, safety and animal welfare exemptions remain. The company has also applied to restrict non-essential commercial water usage as Ardingly Reservoir falls to 23% capacity due to lower-than-expected rainfall.
Key points
- South East Water is removing hosepipe ban exemptions for vulnerable people on its register starting 8 October.
- Exemptions will still apply for health, safety and animal welfare reasons.
- The company applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ban non-essential commercial water usage, impacting businesses like mechanical car washes and window cleaners.
- The Environment Agency granted a drought permit allowing less water to be returned to local rivers from Ardingly Reservoir.
- Ardingly Reservoir, serving 280,000 customers, is reported to be at only 23% capacity.