Further hosepipe bans come in across England

Landscapers in the South West and East of England are the latest to face hosepipe bans by local water companies, joining others affected by bans in the South and South East.

South West Water introduced a ban in ‘Mid Devon and parts of East Devon’ on Tuesday (14 July) and customers can check whether they are affected here.

Anglian Water – which supplies parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, and Suffolk – has introduced a ban for all of its customers.

Affinity Water and Cambridge Water, which supply water to other parts of the East of England, have also announced bans from 10 July and 17 July respectively.

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

In the ‘plants and garden’ section of the FAQ page, the company says that ornamental plants can be watered using a hosepipe or sprinkler for 28 days after planting, while only ‘key playing areas’ of sports grounds can be watered in this way.

Anglian Water also hosts a useful FAQ page on its website, which confirms newly laid turf can be watered using a hosepipe for 28 days, and trees, saplings, whips and hedging planted within the last three years can also be watered using a hosepipe.

Affinity Water and Cambridge Water have also published FAQ pages.

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.

For instance, BALI recently joined forces with the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) to write a letter to the water minister, Emma Hardy MP, calling on the government to improve the way water restrictions are implemented and communicated.

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