First hosepipe ban of the year announced

However, the ban only applies to water users in Kent, with customers in Sussex and parts of Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire unaffected for now.

The water company blames ‘sustained’ high temperatures and ‘near record levels’ of demand for treated drinking water across Kent for the restrictions.

Landscaping impacts

In England and Wales, the power to introduce a hosepipe ban is given to water companies in Section 36 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and elaborated on in the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010.

Broadly, these laws allow water companies to ban various domestic uses of a hosepipe, with specific exemptions for commercial and other non-domestic uses.

However, they also provide a degree of flexibility and are open to interpretation, so it is always worth contacting the relevant water company if you are unsure on the legality of a specific use.

South East Water has published a useful FAQ page on its website, addressing the most common scenarios for landscapers and clients.

For instance, the ‘commercials, schools and farms’ section of the FAQ page says that newly laid domestic lawns can be watered using a hosepipe for 28 days, but only where:

• It is not reasonable to use a watering can
• The turf was laid before the ban started
• Watering takes place between 10am and 5pm or 9pm and 8am

Landscapers can also use a hosepipe to water trees, whips, saplings and hedging planted in the last three years and before the ban, but again only where it is not reasonable to use a watering can.

If you need further clarity on what is and is not permitted under the ban, please contact South East Water directly.

National picture

The National Drought Group – a government-led grouping of key water stakeholders – has just been convened for the first time this year to discuss the state of water supplies, after a dry spring and recent heatwaves.

While water reserves are still in a relatively healthy position, in light of an exceptionally wet winter period, stakeholders reported that some parts of the country are already seeing the impacts of drier weather, such as Kent.

Anglian Water, which supplies much of the East of England, urged customers to cut back on water use during the most recent heatwave but said that it had ‘no plans’ to introduce a hosepipe ban.

Looking ahead

BALI will continue to monitor developments and communicate any further droughts and hosepipe bans to members and, in turn, their clients.

Meanwhile, our policy team is renewing efforts to secure greater flexibility for landscaping under hosepipe bans as well as a more consistent approach across water companies.

BALI has previously discussed the benefits of sustainable garden design, rainwater harvesting systems, and water solutions more broadly