A hosepipe ban is less than a week away from taking effect in Swindon, on Wednesday, August 24th, after Thames Water announced the restrictions.
The ban means people will not be able to use hosepipes to water their gardens, wash cars and windows, or fill paddling pools with those found to breach the rules receiving a fine up to £1,000.
Although Thames Water customers will be banned from using a hosepipe, they can still use buckets or watering cans to carry out activities like watering their garden or washing their cars.
Companies can also continue to use a hosepipe if it is required for business reasons – so commercial car washes can still operate – however hosepipes cannot be used for non-business reasons like cleaning a path outside their premises.
Blue badge holders and those on the Thames Water Vulnerable Customers list, are also excluded from the ban and a hosepipe can also be used if it is to protect the welfare and health and safety of animals including fish.
What can I not do whilst a hosepipe ban is in place?
Thames Water has released a list of things you cannot do whilst the ban is in place.
- Watering a garden
- Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (and trailers)
- Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises
- Cleaning a private leisure boat
- Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
- Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
- Filling or maintaining a domestic pond
- Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
- Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises
- Cleaning paths or patios
- Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces
What can I not do whilst a hosepipe ban is in place?
Exemptions to a hosepipe ban courtesy of Thames Water.
- Health and Safety: Using a hosepipe to (a) water a garden, (b) to clean a private leisure boat, (c) clean the walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) to clean paths and patios or (e) to clean artificial outdoor surfaces, for health or safety reasons, where health or safety reasons includes removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety and preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease. Please note that for areas of grass used for sports or recreation, this exception only applies to the active playing strip and not the entire ground
- Using a hosepipe to water plants that are (a) grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or (b) that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display
- Using a hosepipe to clean any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls;
- Filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction
- Filling or maintaining a pool using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap
- Filling or maintaining a pool that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment
- Filling or maintaining a pool that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease
- Filling or maintaining a pool used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment
- Filling or maintaining a pool in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
- Using a hosepipe to fill or maintain a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
- Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain which is in or near a fish-pond and whose purpose is to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in the pond in order to keep the fish healthy
- People with severe mobility problems who hold a current Blue Badge as issued by their local authority will not be prohibited from using a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden attached to a domestic dwelling, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) water allotments where the Blue Badge holder is the tenant, (e) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (f) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (g) clean paths or patios; or (h) clean other artificial surfaces;
- Using a hosepipe to clean: (a) a private motor vehicle, (b) a private leisure boat, (c) walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) paths or patios; or (e) other outdoor artificial surfaces, where this is done as a service to customers in the course of a business;
- Watering a garden and watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using an approved drip or trickle irrigation watering system, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist;
- Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe if the vessel is a primary residence, in cases where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption or where engines are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe;
- Using a hosepipe to water a garden or to water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises where such watering is restricted to newly laid turf, newly sown lawns, newly planted trees, shrubs and plants where the laying, sowing or planting has been carried out as a service to customers in the course of a business. This exemption only applies for a period of 28 days from the day of planting, sowing or turf laying;
- Customers on the Vulnerable Customers list who have mobility issues but are not in possession of a Blue Badge can use a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (e) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (f) clean paths or patios or (g) clean other artificial outdoor surfaces;
- Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe to prevent or control the spread of non-native and/or invasive species
- Maintaining an ornamental fountain to operate water features with religious significance.
