Affinity Water Central Region - Temporary Hosepipe Ban

Prohibited use & definitions

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Statutory exceptions & concessions under the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010

Non-statutory exceptions

(d) Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe

Private leisure boat means a vessel or other thing, other than a seaplane, designed, constructed or adapted to move through, in, on or over water. The definition excludes vessels used in the course of a business or made available to the public. Cleaning excludes enclosed areas (except doors/windows) and cleaning for health or safety reasons. Includes privately owned boats such as canoes, kayaks and jet skis; excludes large commercial vessels.

Customers may wash boats by hand using a bucket. Recycled water or rainwater is encouraged.

Cleaning is permitted where necessary for health or safety, including preventing risks to human or animal health and controlling disease. Biosecurity measures (e.g. preventing non-native species) are covered.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe where they cannot safely use a bucket. Hosepipes may also be used to fill boat water tanks for washing/cooking/sanitation, for commercial cleaning, for vessels used as a primary residence, where fouling increases fuel consumption, on engines designed to be cooled with a hosepipe, and to prevent/control invasive species.

(e) Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool

Applies to domestic pools associated with a dwelling, including permanent or temporary pools and whole or partial filling.

Customers may fill pools by hand using a bucket. Alternative water sources (including rainwater) are permitted. Backwashing filters and replacing lost water is allowed.

Excludes pools filled during construction, hand-held containers filled directly from a tap, pools used for medical or veterinary treatment, decontamination of animals, and ponds where fish or aquatic animals are kept.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe. Hosepipes may also be used for the initial filling of newly constructed or substantially refurbished pools and for pools used in places of worship or religious ceremonies.

(f) Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use

Includes recreational use around the home such as temporary water slides or sprinklers.

Buckets may be used to fill recreational equipment. Filling directly from a tap is not restricted.

None.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe. Hosepipes may also be used for the initial filling of hot tubs after construction/refurbishment and for caravan or motorhome water tanks used for washing, cooking or sanitation.

(g) Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe

Includes ornamental, indoor and outdoor domestic ponds and topping up.

Buckets, rainwater and other alternative (non-potable) water sources are permitted.

Ponds containing fish or other aquatic animals are exempt.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe where necessary.

(h) Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain

Includes any fountain or cascade, permanent or temporary, indoors or outdoors, privately owned, whether or not the feature recycles water.

All fountains can be filled using buckets. Rainwater or other alternative (non-potable) water sources are permitted.

Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain in or near a fish pond is permitted where necessary to supply sufficient oxygen to the pond to keep fish healthy.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe where they cannot safely use a bucket. Ornamental fountains in places of worship or community ornamental fountains may be filled when used as part of a religious ceremony.

(i) Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe

Applies only to external walls and windows of domestic premises. Cleaning for health or safety reasons is excluded. Includes houses, outbuildings and walls enclosing domestic property. Does not include roofs.

Customers may clean walls and windows by hand using a bucket. Buildings with permanent plumbing to stored rainwater or greywater may use those supplies for cleaning.

Cleaning domestic walls or windows is permitted where necessary for health or safety, including preventing risks to people or animals and controlling disease. Washing high windows to reduce fall risk is included.

Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe. Hosepipes may also be used with cleaning equipment not connected to mains water, by businesses cleaning customers' premises, and when removing graffiti that is hateful, offensive or insulting.

(j) Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe

Includes domestic and non-domestic paths or patios made from concrete, paving slabs, stone, permeable paving, etc. Cleaning for health or safety reasons is excluded.

Customers can sweep paths and patios or wash them by hand using a bucket.

Cleaning is permitted where necessary for health or safety, including preventing risks to people or animals and controlling disease.

Businesses may use hosepipes to clean customers' paths/patios. Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe. Hosepipes connected to apparatus not supplied directly from mains water are permitted. Graffiti removal and prevention/control of non-native or invasive species are also permitted.

(k) Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

Includes paved outdoor areas, timber decking, quays, boat launching areas (excluding private leisure boats), and roofs of domestic premises. Also includes marine infrastructure such as pontoons and slipways.

Customers can sweep outdoor surfaces or wash them by hand using a bucket.

Cleaning is permitted where necessary for health or safety, including preventing risks to people or animals and controlling disease.

Businesses may use hosepipes to clean customers' surfaces. Priority Services Register customers may use a hosepipe. Hosepipes connected to non-mains cleaning apparatus are permitted. Graffiti removal and prevention/control of invasive species are also permitted.