A residential road in Kent has become visibly divided since a hosepipe ban came into force, with homes supplied by one water company forced to watch their lawns turn brown while neighbours served by a different provider are still permitted to water their gardens freely. The stark contrast, with lush green gardens sitting metres from parched ones on the same street, has highlighted how the patchwork of regional water company boundaries means restrictions can apply unevenly even among near neighbours during the same drought.

The disparity stems from the fact that different sides of the road fall under the supply areas of different water companies, only some of which have imposed hosepipe bans amid the ongoing dry spell and low reservoir levels affecting parts of England. Residents affected by the ban have expressed frustration at seeing others nearby continue to water lawns and gardens as normal, while they face fines if caught using a hosepipe, underscoring wider public confusion and irritation over inconsistent restrictions applied by separate suppliers during the same nationwide drought conditions.