Bristol Water issues 2026 hosepipe ban – what you need to know

A water company has announced its first hosepipe ban caused by drought in more than 50 years.

Bristol Water said the restriction – which bans people from using hosepipes for watering gardens, washing cars or filling paddling pools – would come into force from 00:01 BST on Thursday to protect the River Severn’s resources.

Half of the UK’s water companies – including Wessex Water, Thames Water and South West Water – have now announced hosepipe bans, as most of England is in drought.

“Introducing a hosepipe ban is never a decision we take lightly, and we fully appreciate the inconvenience it will cause,” said Richard Stanbrook, director for drinking water services at Bristol Water.

This marks the first hosepipe ban in the Bristol Water area caused by drought since 1975, when a dry summer was then followed by 16 months of low rainfall.

The supplier then introduced a short ban in 1990 because of a hole in the bottom of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which then collapsed.