Wessex Water restricts water use across South West

Wessex Water, which serves 1.4 million customers across the South West of England, has become the tenth water company to introduce a temporary use ban (TUB) – formerly known as a hosepipe ban – this summer.

Customers in large parts of Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire as well as small parts of Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Hampshire have been subject to the indefinite restrictions since 18 August – read more about the restrictions here.

The water company last introduced water use restrictions in 1976 and the current TUB means that over 27 million people across England and Wales are now affected by restrictions on water use.

Please read our recent summary article for further information on the other TUBs currently in place and the legislation and guidance which underpins them.

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.

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.

Broadly, the legislation allows water companies to ban various domestic uses of a hosepipe, with specific exemptions for commercial and other non-domestic uses, while the code of practice sets out a number of discretionary exemptions.

However, the laws and code of practice 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.

Like other water companies, Wessex Water has published a useful for Frequently Asked Questions page, which address common issues around business and garden use, including:

• Hosepipes cannot be used [by gardeners and landscapers] to water household or non-household gardens or plants. However, newly planted shrubs, plants and lawns, may be watered with a hosepipe during the first 28 days after planting or installation.
• Hosepipes cannot be used to water parks, public gardens and ornamental landscaped areas.
• Garden centres and plant nurseries may continue to use hosepipes to water plants that are grown or kept specifically for sale. However, they are not permitted to use a hosepipe to water display gardens, landscaped areas, or flower beds that are not intended for sale.

If you need further clarity on what is and is not permitted under the restrictions, please contact Wessex Water directly.

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.