Starting today, people in Kent and Sussex who break hosepipe and sprinkler restrictions set by South East Water could face a hefty £1,000 fine.
The company has been forced to impose the ban due to the demand for drinking water hitting an all time high during.
The ban was announced on June 16 and comes into effect today, stopping people from using hosepipes to water their gardens, clean cars and patios.
It comes as a dampener for those wanting to cool off from the sun in paddling pools as filling them up is also off limits "until further notice".
People in affected areas will no longer be able to use sprinklers or hosepipes to water their gardens, clean cars or fill paddling pools.
PA
South East Water has said it has no other choice to "protect the water supply" for essential use and to protect the environment.
Anyone caught breaking the rules, including businesses who may be billed by another firm, will face a fine whilst the temporary ban is in place.
There are certain exemptions to the rules, such as watering new lawns at domestic premises where it cannot be reasonably done with a watering can.
The other few areas for exemption can be found on South East Water's website.
In 2022 Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex was only 30% of its usual capacity
PA
South East Water is responsible for supplying 2.2 million customers across Kent and Sussex along with parts of Hampshire and Berkshire.
The company was recently put under pressure when around 4,000 of their customers spent days without access to water or reduced pressure.
In other parts of the country, such as Cornwall and areas of Devon, bans have already been set in place.
David Hinton, boss of South East Water, blames the bans on a several factors, such as the rapid growth of commuter towns putting pressure on the existing system and natural causes like the lengthy periods of low rainfall and the recent heatwave.
Some customers opinions differ, as they believe the real problem comes down to the company's lack of investment.
An online petition demanding a change of ownership of South East Water has raised over 4,000 signatures. The person who started the petition claims they did so because local people are "furious about the repeated failings" by the company.
One comment read: "It's a disgrace that every summer we have the same failures in water supply."
Another read: "I am 82, i have lived in Rotherfield for 28 years and during that time we have lost water supply more times than I can remember."
Hinton defended the company's response, saying: "We are confident, with our customers' help, that we can improve the reliability of the water supply in the short to medium-term."
