As another period of hot and dry weather affects the UK, hosepipe bans have been introduced across several water company regions.

But while the rules are widely discussed in relation to homes and gardens, the position for businesses is not always as clear.

Does a hosepipe ban apply to commercial premises? Can businesses continue washing vehicles, watering grounds or using water as part of a service? More importantly, what can organisations do now to reduce business water usage without disrupting essential operations?

Here is what UK business owners, facilities managers and energy brokers need to know.

Why are hosepipe bans being introduced?

A hosepipe ban is officially known as a Temporary Use Ban, or TUB. Water companies can introduce one during prolonged periods of dry weather when water demand is high and available supplies are under pressure.

As of 29 July 2026, eight water companies have announced Temporary Use Bans affecting some or all of their customers:

• Affinity Water
• Anglian Water
• Cambridge Water
• Southern Water
• South East Water
• South West Water
• Thames Water
• Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water

The exact areas and start dates vary, so businesses should check the rules published by the regional water company that supplies their site.

The restrictions follow an exceptionally hot and dry period. England and Wales experienced their warmest spring on record, while England recorded its warmest June since records began in 1884. Some water companies have also reported increases in demand of up to a third during the hot weather.

Met Office figures show that only 21.3mm of rain was recorded across the UK between 1 and 26 July. Between 8 and 23 July, just 1.9mm fell. Temperatures of up to 35°C were also forecast in southeastern England during the latest hot spell.

Does a hosepipe ban apply to businesses?

The answer depends on the activity, the location of the business and the restrictions published by the relevant water company.

Temporary Use Bans are generally associated with domestic and non-commercial activities. They can restrict the use of hosepipes, sprinklers and pressure washers for activities such as:

• Watering gardens, lawns and non-commercial grounds
• Cleaning paths, patios and outdoor surfaces
• Washing private vehicles
• Filling swimming pools, paddling pools or hot tubs
• Cleaning domestic walls and windows

Some commercial activities may be exempt where using water is directly connected to delivering a service to customers. There may also be exemptions relating to health and safety, animal welfare, food production and certain newly planted trees.

However, exemptions are not necessarily identical across every water company area. Businesses should not assume that an activity is permitted simply because it is being carried out at commercial premises.

For example, Thames Water states that some business services and activities are exempt from its current restrictions, but directs customers to check the detailed rules before continuing to use a hosepipe.

The safest approach is to check:

1. Which regional water company supplies the premises
2. Whether a Temporary Use Ban applies to the postcode
3. Which commercial activities are restricted
4. Whether the business qualifies for a published exemption
5. Whether alternative methods, such as buckets or stored rainwater, can be used

Businesses with multiple locations may need to check each site individually, as restrictions can differ across regions.

What is a Non-Essential Use Ban?

A Temporary Use Ban should not be confused with a Non-Essential Use Ban.

Temporary Use Bans are usually one of the first measures introduced by a water company during a drought. A Non-Essential Use Ban is a more serious restriction that can be introduced if conditions continue to deteriorate.

While hosepipe bans mainly affect household and non-commercial activities, Non-Essential Use Bans are specifically intended to restrict certain types of business water use.

Potential restrictions can include activities such as commercial vehicle washing, cleaning non-domestic premises, operating ornamental fountains and watering outdoor recreational facilities.

Businesses use around a third of the water supplied in the UK, which means reducing commercial demand can make a significant difference during periods of water stress.

The Environment Agency explains that Non-Essential Use Bans require a drought order and can be used to prohibit or limit further non-domestic uses of water.

There is no suggestion that every business is currently subject to this more serious type of ban. However, the current conditions highlight why businesses should understand their water consumption before restrictions become more severe.

What saves the most water in a business?

There is no single measure that will work for every organisation. A hotel, manufacturer, office and restaurant will all have different patterns of water consumption.

However, the most valuable first step is often the same:

Check for water being used when the business is closed

Take a water meter reading after the premises have closed and before staff arrive the following day.

If no water-consuming equipment should be operating but the meter reading has increased, the business may have:

• A hidden leak
• A leaking toilet
• An automatically flushing urinal
• A faulty valve
• Equipment continuing to draw water unnecessarily
• A leak in an underground supply pipe

This simple overnight test can uncover continuous water waste that may otherwise remain unnoticed.

Waterwise recommends that offices nominate someone to check the meter regularly and investigate unexpected changes in consumption. It also recommends testing consumption when a building is not being used to identify possible leaks or unnecessary automatic flushing.

Six practical ways businesses can save water during a heatwave

1. Find and repair leaking toilets

Leaking toilets are easy to miss because water can flow silently from the cistern into the bowl.

A single leaking toilet can waste up to 400 litres of clean water every day. Across a large office, hotel, restaurant or multi-site estate, several faulty toilets can create substantial unnecessary consumption.

Facilities teams should check every toilet rather than relying on staff to report visible problems.

2. Check taps, pipes and outdoor equipment

A dripping tap may appear minor, but Waterwise estimates that a tap dripping once per second can waste more than 12,000 litres of water a year.

Businesses should also inspect:

• Outdoor taps
• Irrigation systems
• Flexible hoses and connectors
• Plant rooms
• Kitchens and washrooms
• Storage tanks
• Underground supply pipes
• Vehicle washing equipment

Outdoor leaks can be particularly difficult to notice during hot weather because water may evaporate or soak into dry ground.

3. Stop unnecessary outdoor water use

Where restrictions apply, businesses may need to stop using hosepipes or sprinklers for non-essential outdoor activities.

Even where an activity remains permitted, businesses should consider whether it is necessary during a period of water stress.

Possible alternatives include:

• Using a bucket rather than a hosepipe
• Using collected rainwater
• Watering only essential plants
• Watering early in the morning or later in the evening
• Applying mulch to reduce evaporation
• Directing water towards plant roots
• Allowing established lawns to recover naturally when rainfall returns

Waterwise recommends watering at cooler times of day, targeting plant roots and using watering cans instead of sprinklers to reduce unnecessary loss through evaporation.

4. Review toilets and urinals

Washrooms can represent a significant proportion of water consumption in offices, hospitality venues, schools and public buildings.

Businesses can reduce usage by installing or reviewing:

• Dual-flush toilets
• Cistern displacement devices
• Sensor-controlled urinals
• Urinal controls linked to building occupancy
• Low-flow taps
• Tap aerators
• Automatic shut-off taps

Modern dual-flush toilets typically use around four to six litres per flush, compared with up to 13 litres for some older models.

The greatest savings may come from preventing unnecessary flushing when a building is empty.

5. Improve kitchen and laundry processes

Commercial kitchens, hotels, care homes, gyms, laundries and hospitality businesses should review equipment and staff practices.

Simple improvements can include:

• Running dishwashers only when full
• Using eco settings where appropriate
• Avoiding unnecessary pre-rinsing
• Repairing continuously running taps
• Reviewing glass-washing cycles
• Running washing machines at their recommended capacity
• Choosing water-efficient appliances when equipment is replaced
• Reusing suitable process water where regulations allow

These actions may also reduce energy costs because less water needs to be heated, pumped or processed.

6. Use meter data to identify unusual consumption

A monthly bill provides limited information about when water is being used or wasted.

More frequent meter readings or Automated Meter Reading data can help businesses:

• Track consumption by day
• Identify unexpected overnight usage
• Compare sites
• Investigate sudden increases
• Set alerts for unusual consumption
• Measure the results of water-saving projects
• Improve budgeting and sustainability reporting

For offices, Waterwise suggests that consumption above approximately 15 litres per employee per day may indicate that there is an opportunity to save water and money.

The appropriate benchmark will depend on the business sector, occupancy and whether water is used as part of operational processes.

Which businesses should pay particular attention?

All businesses can benefit from better water management, but heatwaves and restrictions may have a greater operational impact on:

• Hotels and hospitality venues
• Restaurants, cafés and commercial kitchens
• Care homes and healthcare facilities
• Schools and universities
• Gyms, spas and leisure centres
• Car washes and vehicle cleaning businesses
• Landscapers and grounds maintenance companies
• Farms and food producers
• Manufacturers
• Laundries
• Construction companies
• Businesses with large property portfolios

For these organisations, water efficiency is not simply about asking employees to use less. It requires an understanding of where water is being consumed, which uses are operationally essential and where waste can be removed without affecting customers or services.

Why business water efficiency matters beyond a hosepipe ban

Temporary restrictions may be the immediate reason to review water use, but the benefits continue after the weather changes.

Reducing business water consumption can help organisations:

• Lower water and wastewater bills
• Detect expensive leaks earlier
• Reduce the energy used to heat and pump water
• Improve environmental performance
• Support carbon and sustainability reporting
• Protect operations during dry weather
• Reduce the risk of unexpected supply issues
• Build resilience across multiple sites

Water restrictions are usually introduced in stages as drought conditions develop. Water companies may begin with communication campaigns and Temporary Use Bans before progressing to permits, drought orders or restrictions on non-essential commercial water use.

Businesses that already monitor their consumption will be better placed to respond if conditions become more serious.

What should businesses do now?

Start with five straightforward actions:

1. Check whether restrictions apply to each business location.
2. Read the commercial exemptions published by the regional water company.
3. Take an overnight meter reading to identify continuous water use.
4. Inspect toilets, taps, urinals and outdoor pipework for leaks.
5. Review whether meter data or water monitoring could provide better visibility.

Do not wait for a high bill or a visible leak before investigating consumption. The largest source of avoidable water use may be something that has been running quietly for weeks or months.

Get more control over your business water use

Heatwaves and hosepipe bans are a reminder that water is both an essential resource and a controllable business cost.

PE Solutions can help businesses understand their water consumption, identify unusual usage and explore practical ways to manage water more efficiently.

Whether you manage one premises or a large portfolio of sites, better data and earlier leak detection can help reduce waste, control costs and strengthen business resilience.

Speak to PE Solutions about your business water usage.

Check out our sustainability guides to find more tips for each industry.

Information about Temporary Use Bans can change. Businesses should always check the latest restrictions and exemptions published by the regional water company supplying their premises.