As of 11 October 2026, 6 of 18 UK water companies have a hosepipe ban with published exemptions of its own in force, per Environment Agency (11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026).
Source: Environment Agency — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
Who is exempt, in the words of the body that decided it
Sections 76 and 76A–C of the Water Industry Act 1991 - Temporary Ban on Water Use
Source: Dŵr Cymru — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
The following exceptions are also permitted: Gardens Exceptions: You can still use a hosepipe if: it's needed for health or safety reasons you're a Blue Badge holder you use an approved drip or trickle irrigation system fitted with a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) and timer you have reduced mobility and are unable to use a watering can, but you do not have a Blue Badge you're watering newly laid turf during its first 28 days
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
There are exemptions that we apply to eligible customers. These fall into two categories: Customers that are on our Priority Services Register that are unable to make reasonable adjustments. Customers who need to use a hosepipe for other reasons, including animal welfare and business needs.
Source: South East Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
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.
Source: South Staffordshire Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
Some people and some types of water use are exempt from the hosepipe ban, meaning hosepipes can still be used in those cases.
Source: South West Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
Exemptions may apply for: Thames Water wastewater-only customers Health and safety Animal welfare Food production Some business activities Disability or medical needs
Source: Thames Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
Customers with a valid exemption are not affected by the ban.
Source: Wessex Water — dated 11 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
Exemptions are set by your water company, not nationally
There is no single national list of who is exempt from a hosepipe ban. A Temporary Use Ban is made by an individual water company, and the exceptions it allows are that company's own. Two neighbours supplied by different companies can be under different rules.
Every exemption below is quoted in the words of the body that set it, with a link to the page it was read on and the date it was read. Where a company states that exemptions exist and publishes the detail somewhere this site has not read, the quotation says exactly that and no more.