Hard Water News: July 2026

The restrictions map has filled in again this week. Thames Water, the country’s biggest supplier, has now brought in its own hosepipe ban, South East Water has extended its ban to four more counties, and the regulator has been busy on rules and enforcement. As ever, none of this changes the mineral content of what comes out of your tap, so here is what is worth your attention and what is not.

Thames Water’s hosepipe ban goes live for around 10 million people

Thames Water has introduced a Temporary Use Ban from just after midnight on Thursday 24 July, covering roughly 10 million customers across London, the Thames Valley and the Home Counties. The company points to a dry spring and early summer leaving groundwater and river levels low across its region. From the start date, hosepipes and sprinklers cannot be used for watering gardens, washing cars, filling paddling pools or cleaning patios, and a breach can carry a fine of up to £1,000. This is a supply measure for a hot, dry summer, so it affects your garden rather than your kettle: a ban does nothing to the scale that builds up inside appliances. If you want to know how hard your own supply is, start with our guide on whether your water is hard or soft. Reported by LBC.

South East Water extends its ban to Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire

South East Water, which has restricted Kent since 3 July, is widening its Temporary Use Ban to Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from just after midnight on Saturday 25 July. The company says continued low rainfall since March, high temperatures and record demand have forced its hand, and for parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire this is the first hosepipe ban in 14 years. The restricted activities are the familiar list, with watering cans and buckets still allowed. The useful reminder for anyone weighing up treatment is that hard water is a year-round issue that has nothing to do with reservoir levels: a dry summer does not make your water harder, and rain will not soften it. Our UK water hardness map shows where your area sits. Details are tracked at the Water Industry Hub.

Ofwat issues a technical correction to its PR24 targets

Away from the bans, Ofwat has published a technical correction to the bathing water quality performance targets in its PR24 Final Determinations, confirmed on 17 July, which adjusts the level of improvement required at some affected sites in England and Wales. It is a narrow, procedural fix rather than a change to drinking water standards, so it does not touch what flows from your kitchen tap. It is a reminder, though, that the regulator’s performance commitments are about rivers, sewage and bathing water rather than the hardness of your supply, which is set by the geology your water passes through. If you are trying to decide between treating the whole house or just the kitchen, our explainer on a softener versus a filter lays out the difference. Covered by Water Magazine.

Severn Trent avoids a fine over wastewater failings

Ofwat has concluded that Severn Trent Water was in breach of its wastewater obligations, calling the failings “serious and unacceptable”, but it declined to impose a penalty because the company had already identified the problems and its shareholders had put £98m towards fixing them. It is the eighth case in the regulator’s sector-wide wastewater investigation, which has now secured more than £300m in enforcement packages and fines. This is about sewage and treatment works, not the water you drink, and it has no bearing on limescale, but it is the sort of story a water publication should not ignore. If scaled-up appliances are your real complaint, our pick of the best water softener for UK homes is a better use of your time than the enforcement headlines. Read the Ofwat statement.