Thames Water announces hosepipe ban will start next week

17 August 2022, 11:06 | Updated: 17 August 2022, 12:15

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Thames water hosepipe ban date: When is the ban and what does it mean?

Thames Water has confirmed that a hosepipe ban for its 15 million customers will soon start.

The company supplies London and the Thames Valley, as well as areas of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

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The news comes after the UK experienced the driest July since 1885 due to the recent heatwave and extreme temperatures.

This means the River Thames has reached its lowest level since 2005, leading to a drop in reservoir levels across the region.

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So, when is the Thames Water hosepipe and what does it mean?

When is the Thames Water hosepipe ban?

Thames Water has confirmed that from 24 August, customers shouldn’t use hosepipes for cleaning cars, watering gardens or allotments, filling paddling pools and swimming pools, or for cleaning windows.

The Temporary Use Ban doesn’t currently cover businesses, but Thames Water is asking employers to be mindful of the drought and use water sparingly.

Sarah Bentley, Thames Water CEO said: "Implementing a Temporary Use Ban for our customers has been a very difficult decision to make and one which we have not taken lightly.

"After months of below average rainfall and the recent extreme temperatures in July and August, water resources in our region are depleted.

"Despite investing in the largest leakage reduction programme in the UK, customer demand is at unprecedented levels and we now have to move into the next phase of our drought plan to conserve water, mitigate further risk and futureproof supplies."

Find out more on the Thames Water website here.

What is a hosepipe ban?

When there is a hosepipe ban in place, households aren’t allowed to use a hosepipe in any of the following ways:

• Watering a garden using a hosepipe 
• Cleaning a private motor-vehicle using a hosepipe
• Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
• Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe 
• Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
• Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
• Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe; 
• Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
• Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

There are some exceptions including people who are using a hose for health and safety reasons.