A HOSEPIPE ban comes into force today with households facing a hefty £1,000 fine.

South East Water has imposed the restriction covering hosepipes and sprinklers from today in Kent and Sussex.

People in those counties can no longer use hosepipes to water their gardens, clean cars, patios and boats and even fill paddling pools.

The company said it had no choice but to impose the ban after demand for drinking water hit record levels in June.

South East Water said the ban was to “protect the water supply” for all its customers in Kent and Sussex.

A Temporary Usage Ban was announced by the company on June 16 but could only come into effect after 10 days.

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Anyone caught breaking the rules now faces a £1,000 fine “until further notice”.

The ban covers everyone in Kent and Sussex who is supplied by the company, including businesses who may be billed by another firm.

Certain exemptions are in place, which can be found on South East Water’s website.

South East Waters supplies 2.2million customers across Kent and Sussex, as well as parts of Hampshire and Berkshire.

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The firm came under-fire recently when around 4,000 customers faced days without water or reduced pressure.

A ban is already in place across Cornwall and parts of Devon, according to South West Water’s website.

South East Water boss David Hinton blamed people working from home for water shortages in the region, in a letter to customers last week.

Mr Hinton said demand in commuter towns had grown by around 20 per cent over a short period of time, which had put pressure on the existing infrastructure.

He added other factors such as low rainfall and periods of recent hot weather had also placed a strain on the water supply.

The UK is currently in the tail-end of a heatwave which saw temperatures climb to a high of 32.2C (89F) in Coningsby, Lincs, at the weekend which made it hotter than Ibiza.

And forecasters from the Weather Company predict we will see another heatwave next month, a couple in August and a fifth in September.

The Met Office says 40C (104F) is “not out of the question”, meaning last year’s all-time record of 40.3C (105F) could be toppled.

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Customers though have said the real problem is the company’s lack of investment, and a petition has been set up which calls for a change of ownership at South East Water.

Mr Hinton said in his letter: "We are confident, with our customers' help, that we can improve the reliability of the water supply in the short to medium-term."

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