Hosepipe ban comes into force amid hot and dry conditions

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Water usage restrictions included in temporary use bans (TUBs) will cover nearly five million people in the UK this week. Action from Southern and South East water will encourage Britons living in England to curb their usage for the foreseeable future, as a second hosepipe ban will be brought into effect from August 12. Thames Water will soon follow their lead, adding 15 million customers to the 4.7 million already impacted.

Which location does Thames Water cover?

In a statement today, Thames Water representatives said the company would enact a hosepipe ban over the next few weeks.

The company will react to a “long-term forecast of dry weather” and “very hot temperatures” with a temporary use ban “in the coming weeks”.

Officials have taken their first few steps by writing to the Environment Agency and water regulators Ofwat but are yet to confirm dates.

Thames Water covers 15 million people in the southeast and southwest, including London and the Thames Valley.

The company offers water services via a network that covers a 5,000 square mile catchment area.

Thames Water primarily provides water supplies, but also operates sewerage and wastewater networks.

Hosepipe bans would impact those who receive water from the company in eight key boroughs.

People living in the following boroughs would have to abide by a Thames Water hosepipe ban:

• London
• Surrey
• Kent
• Gloucestershire
• Wiltshire
• Oxfordshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire

What rules are included in a hosepipe ban?

While known colloquially as hosepipe bans, TUBs have a broad impact on Britons caught within one.

Water companies make their own rules for each ban, and Thames Water likely won’t reveal how it intends to preserve supplies until later this month.

People can understand what to expect from the coming Thames Water TUB by looking at other restrictions currently active in the UK.

Southern Water currently asks its customers to avoid the following activities:

• Watering a garden using a hosepipe
• Cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe
• Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
• Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
• Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
• Drawing water, using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use
• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
• Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe
• Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
• Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

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