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West Sussex

Normal conditions - No hosepipe restrictions

There are currently no restrictions in your area. Please continue to check on the current status.

Before restrictions (Level 1) - Preparing for restrictions

There won't be any restrictions in place yet, but we encourage you to save water where you can.

Hosepipe restrictions (Level 2)

Restrictions are now in place. Please check below to find out what this means for you.

Drought order restrictions (Level 3)

Restrictions are now in place. Please check below to find out what this means for you.

Lifting restrictions

Water restrictions lifted. You may continue to use your water as normal.

Normal conditions - No hosepipe restrictions

There are currently no restrictions in your area. Please continue to check on the current status.

Before restrictions (Level 1) - Preparing for restrictions

There won't be any restrictions in place yet, but we encourage you to save water where you can.

Hosepipe restrictions (Level 2)

Restrictions are now in place. Please check below to find out what this means for you.

Drought order restrictions (Level 3)

Restrictions are now in place. Please check below to find out what this means for you.

Lifting restrictions

Water restrictions lifted. You may continue to use your water as normal.

What this means for you

Normal conditions Before restrictions (Level 1) Hosepipe restrictions (Level 2) Drought order restrictions (Level 3) Lifting restrictions
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What happens during this phase?

  • No restrictions in place but please use water wisely

    Following the driest Spring for a hundred years and a lack of any significant rain, river levels are critically low. To protect local rivers and to keep taps flowing we’d like to encourage everyone to use water wisely. There is lots of information and water saving tips on our website.

What we’re doing

  • Continue saving water

    We’re working round the clock to reduce leakage, improve our infrastructure, and protect local rivers. In the past year, we’ve cut leakage by 20% and thanks to new technology, we’re fixing leaks faster than ever.

What happens during this phase?

  • Preparing for restrictions

    Hosepipe restrictions will be in place across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday 21 July. There is no need to call us to find out more. You can find all the information you need here. 

    We recognise that customers with medical needs may still need to use a hosepipe. Customers on our Priority Services Register with medical or mobility needs, including Blue Badge holders and those on our WaterSure tariff, are exempt. Anything you can do to reduce or avoid hosepipe use would be greatly appreciated.

    The Environment Agency has declared the Solent and South Downs in ‘prolonged dry weather’. We need to work together to protect precious chalk streams and keep taps flowing.

What we'll do

  • Find and fix leaks

    Boost our work to find and fix leaks

  • Help you save water

    Promote ways to save water and advertise water-saving products

  • Raise awareness

    Use media campaigns to raise awareness that a drought is coming

  • Plan ahead

    Work with partner organisations to plan ahead to ensure a co-ordinated approach to interventions 

  • Think of the future

    Apply ‘drought mode’ to our water sources. For example, taking more water from rivers and reservoirs in the winter to allow underground sources to recover for the summer.

What happens during this phase?

  • Hosepipe restrictions

    Following the driest Spring for a hundred years and a lack of any significant rain, river levels are critically low. This is putting pressure on our ability to treat and supply your water. To protect local rivers and to keep taps flowing we need to introduce restrictions.  Please do not use a hosepipe for activities including watering your garden, filling or topping up paddling pools, swimming pools, and hot tubs or washing cars, patios, or windows.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    There’s no need to call us. We have a list of FAQs that’s regularly updated with useful information.

  • Exemptions

    We recognise that customers with medical needs may still need to use a hosepipe. Customers on our Priority Services Register with medical or mobility needs, including Blue Badge holders and those on our WaterSure tariff, are exempt. Anything you can do to reduce or avoid using a hosepipe would be greatly appreciated. We have listed all known exemptions on our hosepipe ban information page.

  • Priority Services Register

    If you're on our Priority Services Register you can find out whether the hosepipe ban applies to you, along with helpful information and ways to get support.

What we’re doing

  • Provide extra water

    Bring forward schemes to get extra water

  • Regional drought strategies

    Put our regional drought strategy in place

  • Apply for drought permits

    Apply for drought permits to abstract more water, where it's available

  • Increase water supplies

    Increase supplies of water we get from neighbouring water companies

  • Reduce water sharing

    Reduce the amount of water we share with neighbouring water companies

  • Continue supply activities

    Continue all previous supply activities

  • Recommission

    Recommission mothballed sources

What happens during this phase?

  • We plan for this stage after river flows continue to drop.

    The third stage of the drought is severe drought with a return period of 1-in-20 years to 1-in-500 years. This is the final stage of a drought and covers those rare but severe events that we have seen in the past and could experience in the future. 

What we'll do

  • Source more water

    Source as much water from neighbouring water companies as we can. Move water between our other water resource zones as we can  

  • Operation of sources

    We will look at using more drought resilient water sources during this stage. 

  • Implement drought permits

    Start implementing new or extended drought permits to take more water from existing sources

  • Drought orders

    Use of drought orders in order to increase abstraction and/or restricting the use of water.  

How do the restrictions affect you?

You can find more information below on what's restricted during the implementation of TUBs and what exemptions there are. 

During this phase, you won't be able to water the following plants on commercial premises using a hosepipe:

  • plants which are in a pot or other container that is outdoors or under cover
  • plants which are in the ground under cover.

The only exceptions are if you are watering plants that are:

  • grown or kept for sale or commercial use
  • part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display.

You won't be able to fill or maintain a non-domestic swimming or paddling pool.

The exceptions to this are if you're:

  • filling or maintaining a pool that is open to the public (this excludes pools only open to paying members of an affiliated club or organisation)
  • filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction
  • filling or maintaining a pool using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap
  • filling or maintaining a pool that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment
  • filling or maintaining a pool that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease
  • filling or maintaining a pool that is used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment
  • filling or maintaining a pool in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
  • filling or maintaining a pool that is for use by pupils of a school for school swimming lessons.

You won't be able to fill or maintain a pond during this phase.

The only exceptions to this are if you're:

  • filling or maintaining a pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
  • filling or maintaining a pond using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap (this doesn't include filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe).

You won't be able to operate a mechanical vehicle washer, whether automatic or not.

You won't be able to clean any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean any of the following using a hosepipe:

  • any exterior part of a non-domestic building other than a window
  • a non-domestic wall.

The only exception to this is if you're cleaning any exterior part of a non-domestic building or a non-domestic wall for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean a window of a non-domestic building using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean an industrial plant using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to suppress dust using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to operate a cistern in any building that is unoccupied and closed.

What happens during this phase?

  • Restrictions lifted

    During this phase, we'll lift restrictions and you'll be able to use water as normal.

What we'll do

  • Monitor water efficiency

    We'll continue our ordinary water efficiency and leak-reduction activities

  • Raise awareness

    For a period, we’ll also carry out activities to raise awareness about water sources.

  • Keep you informed

    During this period we will keep you updated about any changes in circumstances and the lifting of restrictions  

Investing in West Sussex

We’re investing in West Sussex’s coast with major upgrades to cut storm overflows and modernise wastewater sites.

Water Flowing Icon

£45.7m in Crawley, East Grinstead & Uckfield

Improving reservoirs and cutting spills to protect your water supply and local rivers.

An illustrated outline of a water meter

£84.5m in Bognor & Littlehampton

Upgrading our Ford wastewater treatment site to support new homes and cut spills with better monitoring.

Leaf icon

£122.2m in Arundel & South Downs

Protecting rivers and nature with major site upgrades and conservation projects.

River and trees icon

£23.3m in Worthing & Shoreham

Improving water sites and cutting spills to protect rivers and the environment.

Thumbs Up Icon

£95.3m in Chichester

Enhancing the treatment process to protect shellfish, rivers, and reduce storm overflows.

An illustrated outline of a water pipe

£28.4m in Horsham

Boosting reservoir and treatment works to improve flow and protect rivers.

An illustrated outline of a plumber wearing a hat

£54m in Hardham

Upgrading our site to boost resilience and cut supply interruptions.

Investing in West Sussex

We’re investing in West Sussex’s coast with major upgrades to cut storm overflows and modernise wastewater sites.

Water Flowing Icon

£45.7m in Crawley, East Grinstead & Uckfield

Improving reservoirs and cutting spills to protect your water supply and local rivers.

An illustrated outline of a water meter

£84.5m in Bognor & Littlehampton

Upgrading our Ford wastewater treatment site to support new homes and cut spills with better monitoring.

Leaf icon

£122.2m in Arundel & South Downs

Protecting rivers and nature with major site upgrades and conservation projects.

River and trees icon

£23.3m in Worthing & Shoreham

Improving water sites and cutting spills to protect rivers and the environment.

Thumbs Up Icon

£95.3m in Chichester

Enhancing the treatment process to protect shellfish, rivers, and reduce storm overflows.

An illustrated outline of a water pipe

£28.4m in Horsham

Boosting reservoir and treatment works to improve flow and protect rivers.

An illustrated outline of a plumber wearing a hat

£54m in Hardham

Upgrading our site to boost resilience and cut supply interruptions.

Your Area

We support everyday life across West Sussex – from sourcing and treating water to delivering it to your tap, and safely managing wastewater through a network of treatment works, reservoirs, and pumping stations.

An illustrated outline of a water drop

19

Water supply works

Water Flowing Icon

37

Water service reservoirs

An illustrated outline of a water pipe

99

Wastewater treatment works

An illustrated outline of a water pipe with sparkle symbols in a circle

679

Wastewater pumping stations

Your Area

We support everyday life across West Sussex – from sourcing and treating water to delivering it to your tap, and safely managing wastewater through a network of treatment works, reservoirs, and pumping stations.

An illustrated outline of a water drop

19

Water supply works

Water Flowing Icon

37

Water service reservoirs

An illustrated outline of a water pipe

99

Wastewater treatment works

An illustrated outline of a water pipe with sparkle symbols in a circle

679

Wastewater pumping stations

Check for live incidents or planned works in your area View all updates View all updates

Your Water

Enter your postcode to check if your water is hard or soft and other information about your supply. Download a full water quality report.

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    Group 6

    Check if it's safe to swim?

    Rivers and Seas Watch is our online service which provides near real-time information about storm overflow releases across our region.

    Visit our Rivers and Seas Watch Map