Thames Water have announced a hosepipe ban to begin on 24 August, as the UK experiences a drought after unprecedented hot and dry weather. People will not be able to use hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars and windows, or fill paddling pools, water outdoor planters and baskets. Any businesses that have plants and flowers outside will be unable to water them.
The ban includes not:
- Watering your garden, allotment or plants
- Filling or maintaining your paddling pool, swimming pool or hot tub
- Cleaning your vehicles
- Cleaning windows, walls, paths, patios and other artificial outdoor surfaces like artificial grass
- Recreational use like water fights and water slides
The ban applies to hosepipes, and anything attached to them, like sprinklers and jet washers.
According to Thames Water, buckets can be filled to water planting if need be.
Those found to breach the ban can face fines of £1000. The river Thames is at its lowest levels in nearly 30 years. The ban will help to save water in reservoir storage levels for the area, and is another part of Thames Water’s drought plan, to fix thousands of leaks every week across its vast network. It is unclear how long the ban will last for.
