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Snooping neighbours told NOT to grass on anyone who flouts hosepipe ban coming into force for millions today

NOSY neighbours have been warned not to report people who defy the hosepipe ban to the police.

Yorkshire Water has put a hosepipe ban in place from today, July 12, whilst South East Water has announced that a ban will come into force on July 18.

Person turning off a hose during a hosepipe ban.
A hosepipe ban has come in to force today
Getty

The southern water company said that demand for drinking water has reached “record levels” due to the extended dry spell.

Residents in these regions will not be permitted to use hosepipes to water their gardens, wash their cars or for any other purpose while the ban is in effect.

Anyone found flouting these restrictions could receive a fine of up to £1000.

Do not call 999

However, West Yorkshire Police has urged people not to call 999 if they see someone using their hosepipe.

The police warned that this is because this could prevent officers from dealing with a “real emergency”.

The Yorkshire ban will affect five million people, and has been put in place due to the region experiencing its driest and warmest period on record.

Only 15cm of rain was recorded between February and June, less than half of what would be expected in an average year.

Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, revealed the restrictions are “intended to make sure we have enough supply for the essential needs of people across the region this year and next as well as making sure we are able to protect our local environment”.

Yorkshire Water said that if it is repeatedly told about people disobeying the ban, it will “remind them of their obligations”.

However, if they continue to flout the ban, the firm said it could take enforcement action.


Exemption from the ban

Businesses will still be permitted to use a hosepipe if it relates to commercial purposes.

Blue badge holders and people on Yorkshire Water’s priority services register will also be exempt from the restrictions.

Restrictions are set to stay in place until the region has seen some rainfall but the ban could last until winter.It comes as Yorkshire reservoirs reached 55.8 per cent, 26.1 per cent lower than usual for this time of year.

A spokesperson for South East Water told Kent Online of its ban: “This situation has left South East Water with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers in both counties, affecting around 1.4 million customers.

How to look after your plants in a heatwave, according to a plant doctor

KELLY Dyer, the Plant Doctor at Patch Plants is warning plant lovers about the adverse affects of unseasonably strong direct sunlight, and how to best look after both your indoor and outdoor plants during a heatwave.

Indoor plants:

  1. Don’t mist your plants as water will evaporate and could scorch them 
  2. Don’t use aircon as it dries the air out
  3. Don’t let plants touch glass as they could get scorched
  4. Monitor moisture levels to see if you need to increase watering

Outdoor plants:

  1. Water your outside plants in the morning and evenings when it’s cooler
  2. When you water your outside plants, water the soil, not the leaves
  3. If you have outdoor plants on a veranda, patio or balcony, you can keep them cooler and increase the humidity by wetting the hard surfaces
  4. Pests are on the move so regularly apply natural bug control spray to indoor and outdoor plants

“In recent weeks, demand for water has increased to the highest levels ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres on 30 June 2025.

“This is 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer.”

When did the UK last have a hosepipe ban?

Back in June 2023, South East Water implemented a hosepipe ban that affected parts of Kent and Sussex.

The ban was lifted in July, after a rainy period of weather.

In 2022, five water companies imposed hosepipe bans on a total of 19 million people, after a long period of hot weather.

The longest hosepipe ban in the UK was in 1976, when restrictions where in place for 98 days, from June to October.

An exceptionally hot summer led to extreme drought which affected most of southern England.

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