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Legal notice of temporary usage ban

Water Industry Act 1991

Temporary ban on water use within part of the Thames Water supply area

Thames Water Utilities Limited

 

Thames Water Utilities Limited (‘Thames Water’) gives notice that, pursuant to powers contained in sections 76 and 76A–C of the Water Industry Act 1991 (‘The Act’), the following uses of water supplied by Thames Water, including water supplied by Thames Water but billed by other companies on behalf of Thames Water, are prohibited.

This prohibition will start at 00:01 BST on Tuesday the 22nd of July 2025 and will continue until further notice. The prohibition applies to the following postcode areas in so far as they fall within the Thames Water supply area: OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9 as illustrated in blue on the map below:

Thank you for your support at this important time.

This notice, and further details concerning the prohibitions, current drought and water efficiency advice can be viewed on our water supply and drought page.

Map showing areas affected by hosepipe ban

Prohibited uses

The following uses are prohibited: 

  1. Watering a garden using a hosepipe;
  2. Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (and trailers) using a hosepipe;
  3. Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe;
  4. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe;
  5. Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool*;
  6. Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use;
  7. Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe;
  8. Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain*;
  9. Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe;
  10. Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe;
  11. Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe.

*Please note that prohibitions 5 and 8 apply to all means of filling, including fixed or permanent plumbing. In relation to all other prohibitions, customers can still undertake the above activities if they use mains water from a bucket or watering can or use water that is not sourced from the mains such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe, or private boreholes for example.

Exceptions to the prohibitions

The following uses are excepted from the prohibitions. Those who meet the requirements below can continue to use water without having to make representations to Thames Water to receive permission. 

In using water, it is requested that everyone uses water wisely and adopts water efficient practices.

  1. Health and Safety: Using a hosepipe to (a) water a garden, (b) to clean a private leisure boat, (c) clean the walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) to clean paths and patios or (e) to clean artificial outdoor surfaces, for health or safety reasons, where health or safety reasons includes removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety and preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease. Please note that for areas of grass used for sports or recreation, this exception only applies to the active playing strip and not the entire ground;
  2. Using a hosepipe to water plants that are (a) grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or (b) that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display;
  3. Using a hosepipe to clean any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls;
  4. Filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction;
  5. Filling or maintaining a pool using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap;
  6. Filling or maintaining a pool that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment;
  7. Filling or maintaining a pool that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease;
  8. Filling or maintaining a pool used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment;
  9. Filling or maintaining a pool in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity;
  10. Using a hosepipe to fill or maintain a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity;
  11. 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;
  12. People with severe mobility problems (whether they hold a current Blue Badge as issued by their local authority or not) will not be prohibited from using a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden attached to a domestic dwelling, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) water allotments where the Blue Badge holder is the tenant, (e) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (f) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (g) clean paths or patios; or (h) clean other artificial surfaces;
  13. Using a hosepipe to clean: (a) a private motor vehicle, (b) a private leisure boat, (c) walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) paths or patios;  or (e) other outdoor artificial surfaces, where this is done as a service to customers in the course of a business;
  14. Watering a garden, including watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using an approved drip or trickle irrigation watering system, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist;
  15. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe if the vessel is a primary residence, in cases where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption or where engines are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe;
  16. Using a hosepipe to water a garden or to water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises where such watering is restricted to newly laid turf, newly sown lawns, newly planted trees, shrubs and plants where the laying, sowing or planting has been carried out as a service to customers in the course of a business. This exemption only applies for a period of 28 days from the day of planting, sowing or turf laying;
  17. Using a hosepipe to water standard trees (including standard trees with a branchless stem of at least 1.8m high which are planted in urban settings, such as streets), whips, saplings and hedging planted within the last three years of the start of this prohibition, where this cannot be hand watered or watered with non-potable water.
  18. Customers on the Priority Services Register subject to any of the circumstances listed below can use a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (e) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (f) clean paths or patios or (g) clean other artificial outdoor surfaces.
    This exemption applies to customers:
    1. On dialysis, a feeding pump or automated medication;
    2. Who suffer from a chronic or serious illness;
    3. Who require oxygen use;
    4. Who require a nebuliser and apnoea monitor;
    5. With a condition affecting the heart, lung and/or rely on a ventilator
    6. Who use an oxygen concentrator;
    7. Who need to use a stair lift, hoist, or electric bed;
    8. Who are unable to answer the door;
    9. With a physical impairment;
    10. With dementia or a cognitive impairment;
    11. Who are blind;
    12. With restricted hand movement;
    13. Who are recovering from hospital treatment;
  19. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe to prevent or control the spread of non-native and/or invasive species;
  20. Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain to operate water features with religious significance;  
  21. Using a hosepipe for filling a water tank in a caravan or motorhome where the water is to be used for washing, cooking or sanitation purposes.
  22. Using a hosepipe to fill a swimming pool, paddling pool, hot tub, swim spa or exercise spa that is a fixed structure from empty after construction or significant refurbishment. Once it has been refilled then a hosepipe cannot be used for any subsequent filling. In this case significant refurbishment should be treated as equivalent to construction.
  23. Using a hosepipe to water food crops at domestic premises or private allotments, where this cannot be reasonably done by a watering can.

The following definitions apply:

"Using a hosepipe" in relation to a purpose listed in the prohibitions includes drawing relevant water supplied by Thames Water through a hosepipe from a container and applying it for the purpose; filling or partly filling a container with relevant water supplied by Thames Water by means of a hosepipe and applying it for the purpose;

“Garden” includes a park, gardens open to the public, a domestic garden, a lawn, a grass verge, an area of grass used for sport or recreation, an allotment garden, any area of an allotment garden used for non-commercial purposes and any other green space;

“Garden” does not include agricultural land, as defined in s.109(1) of the Agriculture Act 1947; other land used in the course of a business for the purpose of growing, for sale or commercial use, any crops, fruit, vegetables or other plants; land used for the purpose of a National Plant Collection; a temporary garden or flower display; or plants (including plant organs, seeds, crops and trees) which are in an outdoor pot or in the ground, under cover.

“Hosepipe” includes anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe. The prohibitions apply whether or not any device is attached to the hosepipe, such as a sprinkler, dripper hose, automatic irrigation systems or similar devices for example; 

“Drawing water using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use” includes operating water slides and other recreational equipment. Thames Water considers the recreational use of hot tubs to fall within the definition of domestic recreational use, but will not consider hot tubs that are designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of medical treatment to fall within the definition of domestic recreational use;

“Relevant water” does not include water supplied by Thames Water Utilities Limited before this prohibition takes effect;

“Private motor-vehicle” does not include (a) a public service vehicle, as defined in section 1 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, and (ii) a goods vehicle, as defined in section 192 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Further definitions and details about the powers to prohibit water use can be found in The Water Industry Act 1991 and The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (‘The Order’). 

Representations

Any representations concerning any of these prohibitions must be made by 23:59 BST on Sunday the 20th of July 2025 to Thames Water by either completing the online form or by calling 0800 072 1083, or by writing to: Thames Water, PO Box 436, Swindon SN38 1TU. 

If, as a result of any representation, Thames Water decides to vary any terms of the prohibition, a further notice will be published. Subject to this, the prohibitions will have effect from 00:01 BST on Tuesday the 22nd of July 2025 and will remain in force until further notice.

Penalties

Any person who contravenes any of these prohibitions may be guilty of an offence, and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,000.