Dorset businesses could face a ban on non-essential water use
Saturday, 7 November 2026 · Dorset & New Forest · Full report
Bridport News, 2026-11-06 | read: full article
What was found
Wessex Water has asked Defra and the Environment Agency for permission to limit how businesses in Dorset use water for non-essential purposes, because a severe drought is still affecting the county 1. October was wetter than usual, with 111% of the long-term average rainfall, but reservoir storage across the country remained 19% below normal 1. Ending the drought by spring would take about 120% of normal rainfall over the next six months 1. Household hosepipe bans that began on 18 August are still in force, and the company previously had to hand out bottled water to 2,500 people in Beaminster 1.
Who it applies to
The proposed limits would cover businesses, charities and other non-household customers in Dorset, England, whose water comes from Wessex Water 1. Households are already under hosepipe restrictions and are not the focus of this new request 1.
How strong the evidence is
Moderate. This is a news report that draws on the water company's application to regulators and on statements from government agencies, and the full article was reviewed 1. It uses rainfall and reservoir figures from regional and national monitoring sites 1. The restrictions have not happened yet. They depend on regulators approving them and on conditions getting worse 1. Some sectors may be exempt, as may uses tied to animal welfare or health and safety, and some small organisations 1. Whether groundwater and reservoirs recover depends on seasonal rainfall, which is hard to predict, so the outlook could change in either direction 1.
What it means in practice
If the request is approved and the drought continues, Dorset businesses could be banned from several non-essential uses of water 1. These include:
- cleaning the outsides of buildings
- filling swimming pools
- spraying water to keep dust down
- running mechanical vehicle washes 1
Firms that depend on these activities should plan other ways to operate now, before any ban starts. They should also check whether they might qualify for an exemption.
Original source
- Dorset businesses could face non-essential water ban (Bridport News, 2026-11-06)