Anglian Water Hosepipe Ban: What It Means for Your Household
What happened
Anglian Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban (hosepipe ban) across its supply region from 1:01am on Saturday 11 July 2026, restricting general hosepipe use, according to the company's official announcement as reported by Essex Cricket on 10 July 2026. As of 11 September 2026, ITV News Anglia reported that Anglian Water officials said the ban was "not ending anytime soon," with the restriction still in force more than two months after it began.
Who is affected
The ban covers Anglian Water’s full supply area, which ITV News Anglia (11 September 2026) described as affecting around seven million customers across "parts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire."
What you can and can't do
Anglian Water's Temporary Use Ban restricts use of a hosepipe connected to the mains supply, in line with a standard Section 76 restriction, as confirmed in the company's official ban announcement referenced by Essex Cricket (10 July 2026). One specific, confirmed exemption: watering of sports pitches that are in active use is permitted under health-and-safety exemptions, provided clubs follow Grounds Management Association guidance, per that same report. WaterReady has not located a sourced, itemised list of every restricted activity directly from Anglian Water — for the full official rules and exemptions, check Anglian Water's own hosepipe restrictions page, linked in the sources below.
How long it's expected to last
As of 11 September 2026, Anglian Water has not confirmed an end date. ITV News Anglia quoted Grant Tufts of Anglian Water saying the ban "won't be ending any time soon" and that it's "going to be well into the autumn, maybe even the winter," because groundwater and river levels remain lower than the company needs them to be, and several more downpours of consistent rain are needed to recharge supplies.
Compensation
No compensation applies specifically for being under a hosepipe ban (Temporary Use Ban) — this is a demand-restriction measure under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, separate from a formal Emergency Drought Order, which carries its own compensation provisions for interrupted essential supplies. A standard hosepipe ban does not interrupt your water supply itself, so Guaranteed Standards Scheme payments for supply interruptions do not apply here.
Worth having in before restrictions get tighter
Not sure how much water you'd need if this happened to you?
Use our free calculator to work out exactly how many litres your household should have on hand, based on who's in it and how many days you'd want to cover.
Use the emergency water calculator →Be ready for the next one: the UK Household Emergency Binder
Water cut-offs, boil water notices, hosepipe bans, power cuts, floods and frozen pipes, plus your own emergency contacts and kit checklist, in one fillable PDF based on official UK guidance.
See the binder →Preparing generally, not just for this incident
Whatever your own supplier and circumstances, the same basics apply: knowing how much to store, how to store it safely, and what to do if your supply is ever cut off.
Read our full guide to water supply interruptions →- ITV News Anglia — "Anglian Water hosepipe ban not ending 'anytime soon', officials warn", 11 September 2026
- Essex Cricket — "Anglian Water Hose Pipe Ban Update", 10 July 2026 (citing Anglian Water's official announcement)
- Anglian Water — Hosepipe restrictions (official page)
Minimum requirements for all
x140 Kirkland Water (500ml)
Drinking
Purpose: cover your minimum drinking-water gap without a large storage footprint. 140 x 500ml bottles of natural spring water.
Inpress Plastics 5L Water Container
Drinking
Purpose: efficient storage for larger gaps with limited cupboard space. Empty, refillable 5L container, food-quality polyethylene, rectangular shape for efficient stacking.
x10 Vira Safe Hand Sanitiser (500ml)
Hygiene
Purpose: basic hygiene cover when water is limited, per government guidance. 70% alcohol, UK-made, contains Vitamin E and Aloe Vera.