From 9 July 2026, hosepipe restrictions are in place across the Cambridge Water region following one of the driest springs in recent years and exceptionally warm weather throughout the summer so far.  The restrictions will be enforceable from 1am on Friday 17 July 2026.

This isn’t a decision we have taken lightly and is the first time in 30 years we’ve had to do so.
A temporary hosepipe ban is now necessary due to:

• record-breaking weather conditions that have significantly reduced river flows and groundwater reserves, requiring urgent action across sectors
• very limited rainfall over the last two months
• a 30% increase in water use - equivalent of an extra 300,000 baths every day - for activities including gardening, car washing and pool filling.

Elena Karpathakis, Managing Director, Cambridge Water said:

“We have been doing everything possible to maintain supplies, but demand for water is currently at record levels. So we really need your help please.”

“We are incredibly grateful for your support at this crucial time, so I want to say a huge thank you to all our customers. We know how important reliable water supplies are to the communities we serve, and we are asking customers to work with us to reduce non-essential water use while this period of exceptionally hot and dry weather continues.”

What does this mean for me?

Everyone (with very limited exceptions) we supply in our region will need to stop using their hosepipes for the following non-essential activities:

• watering gardens
• filling ponds, fountains, paddling pools, swimming pools, hot tubs or cold-water plunge pools
• washing cars, patios or windows

You can still carry on with these activities if you’re using water from a bucket or a watering can.  
You can also use water that is not sourced from mains water, such as grey water or rainwater from a water butt.

Are there any exemptions?  

Whilst the hosepipe ban will apply to most customers, there are some exemptions that recognise some people rely on hosepipe use for health, safety or operational needs. Exemptions include customers with serious medical conditions or disabilities; households registered on our Priority Services Register, and businesses where hosepipe use is essential for operations.

Take a look at our FAQs for more information. 

Why can’t Cambridge Water produce more water?  

What is Cambridge Water doing to save water?  

We know customers expect us to do everything we can before asking them to do more. We are delivering a record investment of £224m over the next five years to protect water supplies. As part of this we have increased our capability to find and fix leaks as quickly as possible, even though we already have some of the lowest leakage levels in the industry.
We are also replacing more than 50km of ageing pipelines in our region, which will reduce leakage by a further 20%. 

Daniel Johns, Managing Director of Water Resources East said:

"Implementing a temporary usage ban is the responsible thing for Cambridge Water to do to protect the environment in current weather conditions and in response to the recent spike in water demand.

"Cambridge Water is an industry-leader on leakage performance and on average has the lowest water demand per person in England.  But their water is almost entirely sourced from sensitive chalk rivers and groundwater sources. They need the support of their customers during exceptional times like this to reduce their water demand as far as they can to protect the Cambridgeshire landscape."   

How else can I save water?  

The less water we all use at home and at work, and the less we lose through our pipe network, the more water there will be for the environment and future generations.  
There are simple ways we can all save water, and by making just one small change, you can make a big difference.