🚱 Hosepipe Ban Haywards Heath – What Sussex Households Need to Know Now

Posted: July 2025 | Read time: 2–3 minutes

If you live in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Uckfield or anywhere across Kent and Sussex, here’s what you need to know, fast.

Hose Pipe ban Sussex

💧 Why Is There a Hosepipe Ban in Sussex?

South East Water has announced an emergency hosepipe ban across Kent and Sussex, including Haywards Heath, starting 00:01 on 18 July 2025.

It follows the driest spring since 1893 and record water use — with daily demand spiking to 680 million litres. That’s 105 million litres above normal, leaving local supplies under pressure. Without this step, homes across RH16, RH15 and beyond could lose pressure or water altogether.

🚫 What You Can’t Do During the Hosepipe Ban (RH16 & RH17)

Under the hosepipe ban Haywards Heath residents must follow, the following are not allowed:

• Watering your garden or lawn using a hosepipe or sprinkler

• Washing your car, windows, driveways, or walls

• Filling paddling pools, swimming pools, hot tubs

• Cleaning patios or outdoor surfaces with mains water

⚠️ Breaching these rules is a criminal offence and carries a fine of up to £1,000.

Will my flowers survive?

✅ What You Can Still Do (And How)

Some activities are exempt from the hosepipe restrictions in Sussex, including:

• Watering cans or buckets (especially from water butts or greywater)

• Food crops on allotments

• Washing for hygiene, health and animal welfare

• Customers on the Priority Services Register

So if you're wondering “Can I use a hosepipe in Haywards Heath during the ban?” — the short answer is no, unless you're covered by a listed exemption.

Do you even have water in your storage butts? We have one left that is full, our others are empty, as we have been using them for the past 2 months.

🏠 Hosepipe Ban Haywards Heath: What It Means Locally

This ban affects homes in:

• Haywards Heath (RH16)

• Burgess Hill (RH15)

• Ardingly, Lindfield, Ditchling, Hassocks, Uckfield and nearby areas

If ignored, it could result in low water pressure, legal penalties, or stricter restrictions down the line. South East Water is monitoring surrounding areas, and further measures may follow if demand doesn't drop.

🔧 Quick Tips to Stay Compliant

• Use a watering can instead of a hosepipe

• Reuse bathwater or dishwater for outdoor tasks

• Clean your car with a sponge and bucket only

• Hold off filling paddling pools unless using stored rainwater

• Fix leaking taps and toilets to reduce unnecessary waste

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📍 Stay Updated

For full details on exemptions and the official Temporary Use Ban:👉 South East Water hosepipe ban updates

Final Word from Smart Heat Experts

The hosepipe ban Haywards Heath households now face might feel like a summer frustration, but it’s a short-term step that protects long-term supply.

If you’re not sure what’s allowed, or you’ve got a leak that needs fixing, we’re local and happy to help.

📍 Serving Haywards Heath, RH16, RH15, BN6 and surrounding Sussex areas.