MILLIONS of Brits are at risk of a £1,000 fine for washing their cars after a strict new rule came into force.
The change came into effect on Saturday and will affect households in eight counties.
Anglian Water has announced a hosepipe ban this summer Credit: Krit of Studio OMG
The decision comes after a spike in water consumption in the region and will affect millions of motorists Credit: Getty Images
Anglian Water has announced a hosepipe ban this summer, with several major areas in the UK affected.
This includes Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk.
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This means five water companies have now introduced or are introducing hosepipe bans this summer, affecting areas such as the Isle of Wight, Surrey and Outer London.
The decision comes after a spike in water consumption in the regions, driven by the ongoing June heatwave, seeing temperatures soar to record highs
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A spokesperson for Anglian Water confirmed that its hosepipe ban means individuals must not use a hosepipe for activities such as watering gardens or filling paddling pools.
It is the first hosepipe ban from the firm since 2012, with households banned from filling paddling pools and watering their gardens.
All the water suppliers enforcing a hosepipe ban
South East Water (Kent) – Restrictions in place since Friday, July 3
Southern Water (Hampshire and Isle of Wight) – Restrictions in place since Friday, July 10
Anglian Water (East of England) – Restrictions came into force at 1am on Saturday, July 11
Cambridge Water (Cambridge) – Restrictions in place since Thursday, July 9, and will be enforceable from Friday, July 17
Affinity Water (Surrey, Outer London, Hertfordshire) – Restrictions coming into force at 12.01am on Friday, July 17
Washing a car is also included on the list of banned activities, with motorists at risk of being fined for breaking the rules.
In a statement, Anglian Water said: “We’ve made the difficult decision to introduce temporary hosepipe restrictions for customers across our region, except Hartlepool. We know this won’t be welcome news.
“After weeks of hot, dry weather and exceptionally high demand, we’re using water faster than it can be replaced naturally.
“To help protect supplies for everyone, we now need customers to reduce non-essential water use.
“Our teams are currently treating and supplying around 30% more water than usual, but water is being used faster than it can be replaced naturally in rivers, groundwater sources and reservoirs.”
