A hosepipe ban is about to be enforced in various areas of the UK after concerns about water supply through the remainder of summer and into autumn. This year has been the driest year since 1976, having a serious knock-on effect on reservoir levels.
Additionally, the Met Office said Wales saw the driest July since 2006, with 52mm of average rainfall and only 53% of the rain that would be expected in that month. Because of this, as of 8am on August 19, parts of Wales will be put under a hosepipe ban.
Dwr Cymru announced the hosepipe ban on August 4, stating: "Introducing the hosepipe ban is not a decision we have taken lightly, however if we are to make sure there is enough water to see us through the rest of the summer and into the autumn then we need to act now to try and prevent any further restrictions later on. The ban will apply to just over 2% of the three million population we serve in Wales. More broadly we do not intend to introduce restrictions more widely across our operating area."
The ban will be enforced for customers in Pembrokeshire, meaning they will not be able to use a hosepipe to carry out activities in and around their properties, such as watering plants or filling paddling pools or hot tubs. If found to be using a hosepipe for banned activities during the ban, customers can be hit with a hefty fine - read more on that here.
In order to ensure customers are informed about the ban prior to its start, Dwr Cymru will run a seven day consultation period between August 10 and 17. If anyone would like to make a representation to the company to be considered for an exemption not already outlined in the ban, then they should do so during that period.
They have also put together a list to detail what is and is not banned during the hosepipe ban. Here are a list of things to avoid during the temporary measures.
Watering - You cannot:
- Water a garden using a hosepipe
- Water plants on domestic or non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
- Draw water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
Filling - You cannot:
- Fill or maintain a domestic pond using a hosepipe
- Fill or maintain an ornamental fountain
- Fill or maintain a domestic swimming, paddling pool, or hot tub
Cleaning - You cannot:
- Clean a private vehicle using a hosepipe
- Clean walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe
- Clean paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces such as decking using a hosepipe
- Clean a private pleasure boat using a hosepipe
Dwr Cymru has also listed what is allowed under the exemptions to these rules. These are:
- Health and safety reasons, including removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety, and preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease
- Business reasons, e.g. watering plants that are grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display
- Cleaning any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls
- Filling or maintaining a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
- Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain which is in or near a fish-pond and whose purpose is to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in the pond in order to keep the fish healthy.
- Watering newly laid turf for the first 28 days;
- The watering of newly bought plants for the first 14 days;
- Customers using an approved drip or trickle irrigation system fitted with a pressure reducing valve and timer systems.
Cleaning a private motor-vehicle using a specific approved apparatus, such as high specification pressure washers:
- A hosepipe with a hand-operated trigger or a water-efficient apparatus
- Commercial customers that use hosepipes as part of their business for some TUB categories, e.g. hand car washing, window cleaning, graffiti removal).
Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
- Those using vessels as a primary residence
- Cases in which the fouling of hulls is causing increased fuel consumption by the drag created
- For engines designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe
- To operate water features with religious significance
- To customers on the company’s Vulnerable Customers List who have mobility issues but are not in possession of a Blue Badge
Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
- Swimming pools with covers
- Pools fitted with approved water conservation or recycling systems
- Paddling pools at early stages of a drought
- Pools that are subject to significant repair and renovation
- Filling new pools
- Swimming pools serving industrial training if considered justified
- Pools with religious significance
- that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment
- that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease, or used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment
- in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe
- Where very low water use technologies are employed and approved by the water company
- For the removal of graffiti
Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe and Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe
- Cleaning paths or patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe for the removal of graffiti or where very low water use technologies are employed and approved by the water company
- Small businesses whose sole operations are cleaning of vehicles using hosepipes
- To prevent or control the spread of non\u0002native and/or invasive species
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