Is there a hosepipe ban in my area? What you need to know

Tens of millions of people are under hosepipe bans across the UK as a record-breaking summer plagued by heat and dry weather continues.

Thames Water is the latest supplier to announce restrictions, impacting more than 10 million customers.

It follows bans already announced by South East Water, external, Affinity Water, external, Anglian Water, external, Cambridge Water, external and Southern Water, external due to a lack of rain and increased demand for water.

It comes amid a record-breaking spring and summer, with three heatwaves so far.

A hosepipe ban, also known as a Temporary Use Ban, is a restriction on using hosepipes. They are imposed by water companies to try and save water during periods of high demand or low supply.

People living in areas where there is a ban are not allowed to use one to:

This is to ensure enough water is saved for drinking, those who are vulnerable and for essential use.

Anyone breaking these rules could be fined up to £1,000.

Affinity Water, external is introduced a hosepipe ban after it said demand for water rose by 20% in recent weeks. The restrictions will apply from 00:01 BST on 10 July.

Anglian Water, external brought in a hosepipe ban on 01:01 BST on 11 July, marking its first ban in a decade.

Cambridge Water, external brought in a ban on 9 July following one of the driest springs in recent years and exceptionally warm weather. The restrictions will be enforceable from 01:00 BST on 17 July.

Southern Water, external brought in a hosepipe ban for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Friday 10 July onwards, with the company citing that "river levels are 25% lower than expected for this time of year".

A ban for Kent has been in place by South East Water, external since 3 July, due to "sustained high temperatures and near record levels of demand for treated drinking water". It will be extended to cover its customers across Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex from Saturday 25 July but customers are being asked to abide by it immediately.

Thames Water, external customers across parts of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, Surrey, the Thames Valley, Greater London and the surrounding areas, external will be living under a hosepipe ban from Thursday. The measure has been announced because the region has only seen 40% of average rainfall. Water use is also currently above normal levels, with an extra 100 million litres of water being used every day.

There are quite a few exemptions to hosepipe bans, with exact details available on each water company's website.

They generally include:

A full list of exemptions can be found on the websites of each individual water company.

In the UK, hosepipe bans are enforced by water companies.

They have the authority to impose fines of up to £1,000 on those who violate the ban under the Water Industry Act, external.

Cambridge Water said this was the first time in 30 years the company has had to implement a hosepipe ban.

Meanwhile, Anglian water has not imposed a a ban since 2012.

You can still water your plants using a watering can or bucket.

Even during a ban, the use of a hosepipe for some gardening activities is still allowed. Your water company's website will give exact details of what is permitted - likely to include the watering of crops, recently planted trees and shrubs and newly laid lawns.

Irrigation systems that involve drip or trickle irrigation only, which are fitted with a pressure reducing valve, a timer and are not handheld, are also allowed.

You can use a hose to water your garden if it uses water that is not sourced from the mains. This includes grey water (water that is not pure, like wastewater from washing clothes), rainwater from a water butt or water from a private borehole.

Find more tips on how to water your garden during a hosepipe ban here., external

While hosepipe bans are enacted at the discretion of water companies, the forecast through much of July calls for continued hot and dry conditions.

Throughout the next three to four weeks, temperatures are most likely to stay above average with some hot days expected, especially in central, southern and eastern regions.

There will be a lot of dry weather, with occasional rain mostly affecting northern areas.

Looking further ahead, according to the Met Office's three-month outlook, near-average rainfall is expected for July, August and September though there may be large regional variations.

None of the water companies with hosepipe bans in place have specified exactly when restrictions will be lifted.

Cambridge Water has said the restrictions will need to be in place "until we receive prolonged significant rainfall, and our groundwater levels return to a situation much closer to normal." They added that the restrictions will not remain in place longer than is "absolutely necessary".

In a similar vein, South East Water has said the ban will likely continue until they are confident that water demand has reduced to "manageable levels" and there is no further risk of supply interruptions.

Southern Water has said it will end restrictions when there's enough water in its reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers to meet demand.

This was echoed by Anglian Water which said it will lift the restrictions as soon as conditions allow and Affinity Water who said they need to be able to "balance water sustainably across the network."

Thames Water said the length of the ban will "depend on the weather", citing the need for "prolonged and significant rainfall".