Several water companies, including Anglian Water, Affinity Water, Southern Water and Cambridge water have also imposed restrictions, known as temporary use bans.
The ban came into force at midnight on Thursday and will mean that washing cars, watering plants, and filling paddling pools will all be prohibited.
But as you reel in your hosepipe, it’s worth asking how water companies ensure you’re not secretly watering your garden.
And what happens if you do decide to switch on the hose?
Households in London have been hit with a hosepipe ban
PA Archive
How is the hosepipe ban enforced?
A temporary use ban is the official name for a hosepipe ban. It means no watering plants, no sprinklers on the lawn, no washing cars, and no filling up paddling pools.
Anyone found to be using their hosepipe could be fined up to £1,000.
But the ban relies on members of the public to call out prohibited hosepipe use, with the vast majority of enforcement sparked by nosy neighbours.
Water companies do occasionally conduct random spot-checks in high risk areas and water meter data can flag unusually high spikes of domestic water use.
Who to report hosepipe use to?
There is some uncertainty on who you should report prohibited hosepipe use to
Thames Water is urging customers not to phone the police, but have also said the public does not need to contact them about neighbours using hosepipes.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We hope our customers will continue to use water wisely, as they have done already this summer, and we’re really grateful for everyone’s help.
“While we’re not asking customers to contact us about how their neighbours are using water, including hose use, we may get in touch with customers who repeatedly don’t follow the rules. This is just to make sure they’re aware of the restrictions and how to use water responsibly. We are not asking anyone to call 999 or 101 if they see someone using a hosepipe.
“We would never knock on a customer’s door and ask them to pay a fine.”
Who does the hosepipe ban apply to?
The ban in impacting more than 10 million people
PA Archive
The hosepipe ban affects all customers who receive water bills from Thames Water. The same applies for other water companies, such as Southern Water, Anglian Water, and Affinity Water.
Everything from watering gardens to filling pools to maintaining foundations and cleaning patios is prohibited under the ban.
However, you are permitted to water plants with watering cans or using mains water from a bucket. You can also use water not sourced from mains pipes, such as rainwater from a water butt.
There are also some exceptions, including for the purpose of decontaminating animals, maintaining livestock, and for those who are blue badge holders or otherwise disabled.
Flouting restrictions is a criminal offence under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991.
You can be fined £1,000 and land yourself a criminal record for breaching rules.
Has anyone been penalised for breaching a hosepipe ban?
It is not clear whether anybody has actually been fined for using their hosepipe.
Four water firms were asked by the BBC whether they had issued fines for breaches.
Only Yorkshire Water responded, saying it has never issued a single fine and would prefer not to do so.
Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water did not clarify if they had issues fined, but told the same publication that enforcement would be the final option.
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