Millions of households could face a hose ban as suppliers warn supplies have run out following the hot weather.
Water suppliers may be forced to curtail use if there is no rainfall in the coming weeks as the country braces for record weather of over 43C.
A spokesman for Southern Water, which supplies Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight, said the daily amount of water used by its customers had increased by “hundreds of millions of litres” during the latest heatwave.
He said: “We do not expect a temporary ban on use across the region. However, we are increasingly likely to require additional measures in certain areas where water is scarcer and pressure on supplies is greatest, such as Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Southern Water said it wanted to keep “disruption to a minimum” but urged customers to “use water wisely at all times”.
The bans are dictated by local water systems and anyone caught using a hose can be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.
South Staffs Water, which supplies homes in the West Midlands, has warned its customers they are using 20% more water amid the high temperatures. The supplier’s Natalie Ackroyd said it would consider temporarily banning the hose if the heat wave “continues for an extended period” and customers do not reduce non-essential water use.
Water in rivers and reservoirs in the south of England is particularly depleted after months of below-average rainfall and “extraordinary” demand from customers this week. Thames Water, which supplies the capital and large parts of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, has also not ruled out a ban.
A spokesman for Thames Water said: “While we do not currently expect to have to introduce restrictions on water use this summer…if we do not receive around or above average rainfall over the coming months, this will increase the pressure on our resources.
“This may indeed lead to the need for more water conservation measures, including restrictions.”
Vendors across the country have told customers to take shorter showers, avoid watering the lawn and using water from kiddie pools to wash cars.
Professor Neil MacDonald, from the University of Liverpool, said: “We are currently below normal water levels. But there should be no need for a ban if households are sensible and understand that there is no infinite supply of water.
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