Thames Water has indicated that its current hosepipe ban is likely to remain in effect until the end of 2026, impacting more than 10 million customers.
The company initially implemented restrictions for its entire customer base of 10.1 million people last month. This coincided with much of England and Wales being officially declared in drought following a summer characterized by record-breaking heatwaves and dry spells.
Despite recent rainfall across parts of Britain, Thames Water acknowledged that the restrictions could persist for several more months. Experts have cautioned that the return of precipitation may not be enough to fully reverse the drought conditions, with significant and sustained rainfall needed to make a substantial difference.
July saw particularly low rainfall totals, ranging from 26% of the typical average in northwest England to as little as 1% in the southeast. Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, stated that it is realistic to expect the ban to continue until the close of the year, emphasizing the need to protect the environment.
He noted that customer water usage increases significantly during periods of high temperatures, with a 25% rise when temperatures exceed 25C and up to a 50% increase when they surpass 30C, conditions frequently experienced this summer.
Widespread Drought and Wildfire Risk
More than 27 million people across England and Wales are currently subject to hosepipe bans, preventing activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools, or washing cars. Drought conditions, characterized by dangerously low river levels and high temperatures, have been declared in all of Wales and 71% of England. Some parts of Britain recorded temperatures reaching 38C this summer.
Muncaster also indicated that drier conditions are anticipated in the near future, according to Environment Agency forecasts, although the situation will be closely monitored.
The prolonged dry weather has contributed to an elevated wildfire risk. England and Wales have experienced 1,132 wildfires in 2026 so far, a record high for this period, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council. Several fire services have urged the public to report only genuine emergencies, and alerts warning of a high wildfire risk were sent to mobile phones across England and Wales.
One of the largest wildfires occurred near Aviemore in the Cairngorms, which took crews nearly five weeks to tackle after starting on July 15. The summer's heatwaves and dry conditions have led to widespread water shortages and increased wildfire incidents.
Thames Water, identified as Britain's largest water company, is currently navigating financial challenges, with creditors attempting to arrange a bailout deal following a recent rejection of a proposal by ministers. The company reports losing an average of 569 million liters of water per day, a decrease from previous years.
Areas that experienced the longest dry spells this summer include Wisley, Surrey (62 days), Heathrow Airport and Odiham, Hampshire (56 days), and Preston, Dorset (53 days).