Millions are set to feel the impact of a hosepipe ban in two English regions as dry conditions continue.
Residents in Kent and Sussex have been told to limit their hosepipe and sprinkler usage from August 12.
The length of the ban remains unclear, with the firm's website saying it will be in place "until further notice".
South East Water has warned that fines of up to £1,000 for anyone circumventing the rules.
In a statement, they said: “This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK.
Anyone flouting the ban could face a £1,000 fine.
Yui Mok
“Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.
“During July in the South East, we have only seen eight percent of average rainfall for the month, and the long-term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.
The Met Office has revealed that it was the driest July in England since 1911.
Jordan Bridge
“The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave. We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.
“We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 0001 on Friday August 12 within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.
“We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources.”
The ban comes following the Met Office revealing that it was the driest July in the UK since 1911.
South-east and central southern England saw an average of only 5.0mm of rain last month while East Anglia had 5.4mm.
For both areas it was the lowest amount of rainfall in July since Met Office records began almost 200 years ago, in 1836.
England as a whole saw an average of 23.1mm – the lowest figure for the month since 1935 and the seventh lowest July total on record.
The UK-wide average did not rank quite so low, with 46.3mm of rainfall – the 19th lowest July total since 1836.
