Businesses could be barred from non-essential water use amid supply threat

Three water companies want to extend restrictions beyond households to businesses in drought-hit areas. Golf clubs and private schools could be stopped from using mains water to irrigate courses and playing fields. Commercial car washes could also be prevented from operating. The aim is to reduce demand while rivers, reservoirs and groundwater remain under pressure.

The proposed controls are called non-essential use bans. They would restrict water for activities that are not needed for basic drinking or household supply. Commercial car washes are a notable target because power hoses can use up to 25 litres of water each minute. That makes repeated vehicle washing a significant avoidable demand during shortages.

South East, Southern and South West Water have applied for permission to impose these restrictions in parts of their regions. Defra must approve the requests, but the government had not responded when the article was published. The bans could help preserve stored water while natural supplies recover.

A non-essential use ban is a legal restriction on specified water uses judged unnecessary during a shortage. It could stop businesses from using mains water for activities such as irrigating golf courses, watering school playing fields or operating commercial car washes. The purpose is to reduce demand when supplies and the natural environment are under strain.

The current hosepipe restrictions apply to the public and have been in place for three months in affected areas. Businesses have so far been excluded. The proposed bans would close that gap by controlling commercial water use. A car wash using a power hose, for example, may consume up to 25 litres per minute.

South East, Southern and South West Water have asked Defra to approve restrictions in parts of their regions. If permission is granted, the companies could impose the specified business controls. This would align commercial restrictions more closely with household limits and help conserve water during drought.

The shortage is widespread and severe. Eleven areas of England remain in drought, and Yorkshire entered drought status on 9 October. Reservoirs are 54% full, which is 21% below the expected autumn level. Nineteen reservoirs or reservoir groups in England and Wales are below half full, with eight exceptionally low.

Rainfall has not been enough to rebuild supplies. England received about 65% of its typical September rainfall, with the largest deficits in eastern and southern areas. Groundwater levels are declining, while rivers are experiencing low flows. These measures show that the problem affects several connected sources, not only visible reservoir storage.

Recovery will require sustained wetter weather. The Met Office says above-average rainfall is needed over seven months to bring all areas out of drought. Parts of Wales are beginning to recover, but no significant rain was forecast for the coming weeks in the south-west, where water companies still face critical conditions.

Continued drought can damage rivers and the wildlife that depends on them. Low flows reduce habitat quality and put pressure on fish, spawning grounds and overall river health. Defra reports exceptionally low flows in seven areas of England, including the Derwent, Yare, Ely Ouse, Tone and Hampshire Avon catchments.

The effects can last beyond the dry weather. When rivers fall to low-flow levels, they may take years to recover. In Hampshire, Southern Water is seeking permission to draw water from the River Test, an internationally prized chalk stream and rare salmon habitat, below the level considered ecologically safe. This illustrates the conflict between supply and protection.

Business operations may also be restricted. Commercial car washes, golf clubs and private schools could face non-essential use bans. Water companies are trying to reduce demand while maintaining supplies, but continued low flows and storage levels could prolong restrictions and intensify pressure on rivers, fish and wildlife.

Rain does not end a drought as soon as it falls. The ground, rivers, reservoirs and groundwater stores may have accumulated large deficits over many months. The Met Office says above-average rainfall is needed for a sustained seven-month period to bring all areas out of drought. A short wet spell therefore may improve conditions without restoring supplies.

The article describes rivers with exceptionally low flows and reservoirs far below normal. Reservoirs are 54% full, while groundwater levels are declining. River flows can remain low after rain and may take years to recover once they reach low-flow levels. These delayed responses explain why immediate rainfall does not quickly restore river health or stored water.

South West Water says recovery takes much longer than people expect. It is still drawing on reservoirs while river flows remain too low for public supply. With no significant rain forecast for the coming weeks, the immediate priorities are reducing demand and preserving stored water until natural sources recover.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or Defra, must approve the water companies’ requests for non-essential use bans. South East, Southern and South West Water have applied for permission to restrict business water use in parts of their regions. The government had not responded when the article was published.

The companies are balancing two urgent needs: keeping water flowing to homes and businesses, and protecting rivers and wildlife. South East Water and South West Water have been allowed to alter how much water they draw from rivers to conserve reservoir supplies. Southern Water is also seeking a drought order to draw from the River Test, even below the level considered ecologically safe.

At the same time, companies want businesses to use less water. Southern Water links its proposed business ban to its request for more River Test abstraction. These measures show the difficult trade-off: preserve public supplies now, while avoiding further harm to rivers, fish and habitats.

The water supply system depends on several connected stores. Rainfall feeds rivers and helps replenish groundwater and reservoirs. Reservoirs hold stored water for later use, while groundwater can support rivers and supplies. During drought, low rainfall means these sources receive less water. The article reports declining groundwater, low river flows and reservoirs only 54% full.

Water companies abstract, or draw, water from rivers and other sources to supply homes and businesses. That can protect reservoir stocks, but excessive abstraction can further reduce river flows and harm habitats. Southern Water is seeking to draw from the River Test below its ecologically safe level, showing the tension between public supply and environmental protection.

Leakage reduces the water available before it reaches users. The Angling Trust called for urgent action to reduce huge leakage alongside restrictions and action on unsustainable abstraction. The article therefore presents demand reduction, leakage control and careful abstraction as ways to protect supplies while rivers and reservoirs recover.