Temporary Use Ban (hosepipe ban) enforced on Thames Water network in parts of Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire

• Thames Water’s Temporary Use Ban (hosepipe ban), for areas it supplies with a postcode starting with OX, GL, SN and RG4, RG8 and RG9, has come into effect today 

• The restrictions come after the driest spring in over a century and England’s warmest June on record. The Environment Agency has placed the Thames Area into the Prolonged Dry Weather category  
• Thames Water is enacting the next stage of its drought plan, which is designed to mitigate the risk of further impact to water supplies and ensure the taps keep running for customers’ essential use while also protecting the environment  
• Despite recent rainfall, the prolonged hot weather means there is less water available to support local water supplies and Thames Water is continuing to see high demand across the Thames Valley region 

Thames Water’s Temporary Use Ban (TUB) has begun for areas in its clean water network with a postcode starting with OX, GL, SN and RG4, RG8 and RG9.  

The restrictions were announced last week (14 July) following the driest spring in over a century and England’s warmest June on record. The Thames Valley area has been placed in a Prolonged Dry Weather status by the Environment Agency, meaning there is a heightened risk of drought. The TUB is the next stage of Thames Water’s drought plan to help protect customers’ supplies and the environment.  

Under a TUB, customers are asked not to use hosepipes, including for cleaning cars, watering gardens or allotments, filling paddling pools and swimming pools or cleaning windows.  

While the TUB does not impact other areas of the Thames Water region or businesses where water use is a core part of their purpose, for example garden centres/car washes, Thames Water is continuing to ask everyone across the region it serves to be mindful of their water use.  

Nevil Muncaster, Strategic Water Resources Director at Thames Water, said: “The Temporary Use Ban we announced last week is now in place. I’d like to reassure all our customers that we are doing everything we can to look after our water resources and to protect the environment through this continued warm, dry weather. 

“Our engineers are working 24/7 to maintain supply to all our customers and we have more teams out in the field fixing leaks, which often increase during long dry spells because of shifts in the ground that move our pipes. We all have a role to play in reducing our water use and customers can help us by saving water around the home and in the garden. Turning the taps off while brushing teeth, fixing leaky loos and letting your lawn go dry are simple steps which make a difference. I want to thank all our customers for their understanding and support so far.” 

Context and source of water 

The prolonged hot weather and below average rainfall means there is less water available to support local water supplies and Thames Water is continuing to see high demand across the Thames Valley region. From March – June 2025, the Thames Valley received only 40% of its long-term average rainfall.  Company data shows customers often use up to 30% more water on hot days (temperatures above 25 degrees) and homes with outdoor garden space can use up to nearly 50% more water each day, when temperatures exceed 25 degrees. 

Water abstracted from the River Thames for this area is stored at Farmoor reservoir in Oxfordshire. If as is expected, the warm, dry weather continues the company anticipates that reservoir levels at Farmoor will continue to drop. 

Further, river levels are below average for the time of year, which limits how much water can be sourced from the River Thames to top up the reservoir. In the Cotswolds, aquifers which feed the River Thames are fast draining and the prolonged low rainfall also limits how quickly they can be refilled, further restricting how much water the company can source for reservoir storage. 

The hot weather also means more water is lost through evaporation from surface water bodies such as rivers and lakes. Carefully managing the amount of water Thames Water takes from rivers can help protect aquatic animals and invertebrates as well as local wildlife. 

Leakage performance and future resilience  

Thames Water has already taken a number of measures to boost its water resources. This includes an extensive programme to reduce leaks.  

Leakage is at its lowest ever level on the Thames Water network, down 13.2% since 2020. The company is fixing 650 leaks a week with its engineers targeting leaks with the greatest impact to local water supplies.  

Thames Water is also using innovative technology and data to find and fix leaks faster. So far it has installed almost 40,000 acoustic loggers on its water network to help detect leaks and expects to have 100,000 in place by mid-2027. 

Thames Water is also looking ahead to secure future water supplies and is currently progressing plans for a proposed reservoir in Oxfordshire, which will be crucial in securing water supply for 15 million people across the South East, including Thames Water, Affinity Water and Southern Water customers. The company is also progressing plans for a vital drought resilience project in London which will be supported by water recycling.  

For more information about the TUB including further details on restrictions and customer exemptions please visit the Thames Water website.