For its customers in Kent and Sussex, South East Water has placed a ban on the use of sprinklers and hosepipes.
The prohibition will begin on August 12 and end on a date that is yet to be determined.
It comes shortly after Southern Water restricted the use of hosepipes for customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for the first time this year. That prohibition will begin on Friday.
 The ban is necessary to make sure there is enough water for essential use and to protect the environment, adding that the ban would reduce the amount of water taken from “already stressed local water sources”.
“Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.
“During July in the South East, we have only seen 8% of average rainfall for the month, and the long-term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.”
It added: “The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the COVID lockdown heatwave.
“We have been producing an additional 120 million liters of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.”
South East Water supplies 520 million liters of water every day to 2.2 million customers.
More than 250 boreholes, six rivers, and six reservoirs are used to supply the water.
All customers in Kent and Sussex would be hit by the ban, with the exception of those on the priority service registry, according to South East Water’s website.
Customers in Berkshire and Hampshire will not be affected, it said, adding: “Whilst demand in our supply areas in Berkshire and Hampshire has also increased considerably, we have not suffered from the same water supply issues as experienced in Kent and Sussex.
“For the time being, we are in a position where we can continue to ask our customers to apply voluntary restraint on the amount of water they use at home.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will advise customers if circumstances change.”
The ban means it is forbidden to use a hosepipe that is connected to a mains water supply, and a hosepipe includes garden sprinklers.
A penalty of up to £1000 could be applied for breaking the restrictions.