Southern Water, which serves over 4.7 million people, has kept a hosepipe ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight since 10 July 2026, and it was still in force at the end of October 2026. On 31 July 2026 the company applied for a non-essential use ban drought order, alongside a drought order on the River Test. The Environment Agency's drought summary for 23–29 October 2026 says: "We are awaiting the Secretary of State decision."
Demand is not the main problem
Southern Water's customers already use less water than most. Household consumption was 126.6 liters per person per day in FY2025-26, against an industry average of 137.3, according to the regulators' joint report of October 2026. Leakage was 76.6 liters per property per day, against an industry average of 104.5, and total leakage fell 8.1% on the previous year.
The new sources are years away
The Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project applied for development consent on 21 May 2026 and was accepted for examination on 25 June. Its preliminary meeting took place on 11 November 2026, and the examination follows. No completion date is fixed: earlier market engagement pointed to construction starting in 2028 or 2029, while a local council summary gives an indicative date around 2034. Havant Thicket Reservoir, which Portsmouth Water is building to supply Southern Water, is in main construction; as of March 2026 its completion was expected in the early 2030s rather than 2029, with a firm date to be confirmed.
What it means for the next dry year
Southern Water supplies an average of 560 megaliters a day. Until one of these schemes delivers water, a dry Hampshire summer will again mean restrictions and drought orders.
How Southern Water's resources, regulators and around £8.9 billion of 2025-30 investment fit together, and which decisions due from December 2026 matter most, are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Southern Water, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Southern Water Utility Snapshot.