A hosepipe ban is set to come in across Kent and Sussex due to a record demand for drinking water, South East Water bosses said.

Areas of the region have been left with little or no water this week amid the hot weather, forcing schools to shut and residents to get drinking water from bottled water stations.

A plea to use only essential water has stretched from Haywards Heath in West Sussex to Whitstable in Kent.

The temporary ban on hosepipes and sprinklers will come in on June 26.

South East Water said despite providing an extra 120 million litres of water a day, demand in June has broken records, including from the Covid lockdown heatwave.

David Hinton, the firm’s chief executive, said: “This situation has developed much more rapidly than last year. Understandably, we’ve seen customer demand increase in line with the hotter weather, however this has impacted our ability to keep all customers in supply at all times.

“Despite asking for customers’ help to use water for essential uses only, regrettably we’ve now been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary use ban restriction to protect customers’ supplies across Kent and Sussex.”

Mr Hinton said the long-term forecast for the summer is a dry period with little rainfall, adding: “Restricting the use of hosepipes and sprinklers to make sure we have enough water for our customers’ essential use will ensure we can serve our vulnerable customers and to protect the local environment.”

Thames Water has not yet enforced a hosepipe ban across London and says that currently water resources at a level they would expect.

Thames Water wrote in an email sent out to customers yesterday (June 15): “Our reservoirs, rivers and most underground water sources are at the levels we’d expect right now. We’ll continue to watch this closely across the summer and let you know if this changes.

“You can help us protect our water sources by using water as efficiently as possible.

“While you’re watering your tubs or filling up the paddling pool, please remember we can have fun in the sun but still use water wisely. This will help keep the taps flowing in our region and save you money if you’re on a meter.”