Water restrictions spread across England and Wales

Many water companies across England and Wales have now introduced restrictions on how households can use mains water, following an extended period of high temperatures and low rainfall.

The following companies have all introduced so-called temporary use bans (TUBs) – formerly known as hosepipe bans – across all or part of their service areas:

• Affinity Water
• Anglian Water
• Cambridge Water
• Essex and Suffolk Water
• South East Water
• South West Water
• Southern Water
• Thames Water
• Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water)

Click on the relevant company name above for an overview of their respective TUB, including details of the area covered and a frequently asked questions page – most of which address common queries from landscapers and their clients.

Landscaping impacts

In England and Wales, the power to introduce water restrictions 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, the laws also provide a degree of flexibility and are open to interpretation, so it is always worth checking whether specific water uses are permitted with the relevant water company.

The Flood and Water Management Act, for instance, allows water companies to prohibit watering a garden with a hosepipe and watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe.

Among other things, the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order clarifies the meaning of ‘garden’ – it includes parks, sport pitches, and ‘other green space’ but excludes other land used to grow plants for sale or commercial use.

To complicate matters further, water companies are also signed up to a code of practice on water restrictions, which sets out discretionary exceptions around watering newly laid turf and newly bought plants.

It is important to note that these exceptions are discretionary; we often see water companies allow the watering of newly laid turf for up to 28 days but they do not have to and so landscapers and clients should always check.

Looking ahead

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

Meanwhile, our policy team is renewing efforts to secure greater flexibility for landscaping under water restrictions 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.