Thames Water's hosepipe ban is now law for millions. At 00:01 BST this morning the restrictions kicked in, covering everything from garden hoses to car washes and paddling pools across London, the Thames Valley and the Home Counties.
This is not panic. It is a direct response to the driest spring in years, three official heatwaves, record temperatures and water demand running 7 per cent above normal in London and 10 per cent higher elsewhere. Customers have been using an extra 100 million litres a day. Something had to give.
The ban prohibits non-essential hosepipe use for watering gardens, cleaning private motor vehicles, watering plants on domestic premises, cleaning leisure boats, filling or maintaining domestic swimming or paddling pools, filling or maintaining domestic ponds, filling or maintaining ornamental fountains, and cleaning walls, windows, paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces. Yet watering cans, buckets, rainwater butts and grey water remain perfectly legal. The distinction matters. It separates genuine conservation from pointless bureaucracy.
We would not be taking this step unless it was necessary to protect water supplies for everyone and the environment.
Nevil Muncaster, director of strategic water resources at Thames Water, put it plainly. Recent heatwaves and a very dry spring and summer have led to sustained high demand. While there is enough water for essential use, the company needs to reduce non-essential outdoor demand to keep taps flowing.
His teams are working 24/7 to keep water moving, fix leaks and support customers. The ban will stay in place until further notice but will be kept under close review, with restrictions lifted as soon as conditions allow. Wastewater-only customers are unaffected. Breaches can bring fines of up to £1,000 on summary conviction.
