Two million more homes are to be hit by a hosepipe ban as the drought continues.
People who break the ban face a fine of £1,000.
South East Water – which covers Kent and Sussex – will start the embargo on August 12th.
Details seen by the Daily Mail reveal other water companies could follow suit.
Lee Dance, South East Water’s head of water resources, said:
“Clearly, we are in a very dry and warm period and the forecast is that this may continue for a number of weeks.
“We have been looking very closely at the current situation and assessing the likelihood of restrictions and other measures.
“If our assessment reveals voluntary reduction of water use will not allow us to maintain supplies of water for essential use or to protect the environment, then we may need to impose more formal bans.”
Last week Southern Waters announced “a temporary ban for its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The company added:
“This is one of many measures they and other water companies should consider to reduce unnecessary use of water and protect customer supplies and the environment.”
