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Veolia Water Central Hosepipe Ban Restrictions 2012

Updated 28/03/2012

This is the statement Veolia Water Central have made regarding their hosepipe ban water restrictions starting on April 5th 2012.

We will now use this page as the definitive guide on Veolia Water Central’s restrictions and exemptions. Please therefore refer back here if you have seen something contradictory on another part of our site which may have been written when other rules applied.

You may comment or ask questions using the comments box at the bottom of this page.

Veolia Water Central’s statement:

The water-use restriction categories for the Temporary Use Ban are listed below. These restrictions will come into effect from Thursday 5 April 2012 until further notice.

  • watering a garden using a hosepipe (except the watering of a field of play to be used for a national or international sporting event)
  • cleaning a private motor-vehicle using a hosepipe
  • watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe (except by persons who are registered disabled and/or are of extreme frailty, conditional in each case upon prior written approval and the terms and conditions set out in the Exceptions Policy published on the Veolia Water website)
  • 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

The following information applies to each activity:

Legislation:
All eleven activities are covered by the Water Industry Act 1991 section 76 as amended by
the FWMA 2010 (i.e. temporary water use bans).

“Using a hosepipe”
The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 provides the definition of using a hosepipe in
relation to the Water Industry Act 1991 as including:

a) Drawing relevant water through a hosepipe from a container and applying it for the
purpose; and
b) Filling or partly filling a container with relevant water by means of a hosepipe and applying
it for the purpose.

A reference to a hosepipe includes anything designed, adapted or used for the same purpose
as a hosepipe (Section 76A(5) of the Water Industry Act 1991).

“Relevant water” refers to mains water i.e. supplied by the water undertaker; it does not
include water supplied before the water use restriction was implemented.

For further definitions and exemptions, please see Veolia’s website: https://central.veoliawater.co.uk/docs/drought-restrictions-explained%281%29.pdf

Contact details here: Veolia Water Central

36 replies on “Veolia Water Central Hosepipe Ban Restrictions 2012”

Questions are now closed for this section as the same questions have been answered many times. Please look through the previous questions and read the rules written at the top of the page.

The river gade runs through my garden, would it be ok to pump water from it to run a sprinkler system?

You’d need to ask the water company as it may affect water supplies elsewhere.

I am a registered pig keeper with a county holding licence, i have water plumbed to a tap that i use to water my pigs from a bucket. I also will ned to spray them in hot weather, can i use a hosepipe under the ban to keep pigfs cool as its ammeeter of their health and safety that i do occassionaly.

As long as you can demonstrate to the water company that it’s a case of animal welfare.

Hello John,

Can I fill my watering can with my hosepipe?

We were allowed to do this with the last ban, I am hoping this is still the case, as my front garden is a long walk from the back where my tap is.

Hi Susan

You’re right it was allowed in the past but not this time I’m afraid.

I’m not on a water meter, but I believe those that are, can use irrigation systems up to 4th July.
Is it ok to connect the system to a rainwater fed water butt (I’ve tried the system before at such low pressures and it seems to work) and top up the butt when required using buckets filled from a tap?

Hi John

You can do as you ask except that you can no longer top up your rainwater butt using buckets from the tap.

I run a commercial industrial estate which use water for every day cleaning of machinery and vehicles by pressure washers and pressure hoses, is this affected. post code EN54 Ry

Hi Richard

You will be able to continue doing that on commercial premises for the time being.

I am planting minimum number of potted plants this year in preparation for a hose pipe ban. However, some sort of watering will be required for pots and few delicate plants in beds. I have very sandy soil in my raised beds, courtesy of the land-scaper who filled them!

I have heard that if you are disabled or over 65, responsible use of hose pipe (without leaving it on to run), where water is stopped from running between each plant, is allowed. Is this true and if it is, how do I go about getting permission for it?

Hi Mamta

Forget the over 65 bit – doesn’t apply now. You need to get written approval from Veolia if you are registered disabled. Contact details above.

as for using a hose pipe to fill a swiming pool , why when ya have a chance add a direct feed pipe[copper] to the pool , then when it needs a top up you can just turn on a tap , hence no [hose] pipe required

Seen some posts that suggest that using a hosepipe to water plants in pots or under cover, i.e. in a greenhouse is OK.

Also seen some posts suggesting that use of irrigation systems is OK.

Do these exemptions apply to Veolia Central?

Can I water my garden using a drip water irrigation system, or is this classed as a hosepipe?

Hi Pete

Irrigations systems are allowed during the up-coming hosepipe bans.

Can you please confirm that the restrictions being imposed will not prevent me from washing my touring caravan using a hosepipe.

dear veolia

the ban has been lifted by southern water for disable and the over 65 years, is this rule going to be adopted by yourselves

regards
Mr G. W. Robinson

We are responsible under law for the maintaining of a grade 2* listed historic swimming pool. This has a listed structure which is a thin concrete shell which relies on its contained water to maintain the structure. Loss of water level will place the structure at risk. Historically the house had its own borehole and water tower but this was demolished in the early 1960s and the house was connected to the local mains. Planning restrictions mean that the historic structure is maintained. What is your advice now that the company cannot supply the water necessary for maintaining part of our national heritage?

Hi Katherina

My advice would be to contact the water company directly and tell them the situation. Difficult to see how they could refuse giving you an exemption.

As Veolia are unable to supply water to use our hosepipes, surely they should therefore reduce the charge they are making for water supply.

I’m with Veolia Central and their ban states a restriction on “filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool”. The restriction on “Filling” is obvious but what does the restriction on “maintaining” prevent?. Assuming the pool is filled before the ban, the pump is circulating water through the filter all the time to keep it clean. Occassionally it may be necessarry to backwash (drain water through from the pool to the filter and out to the drain to clean it) which will obviously lower the water level very slightly. As long as I rely on rain to top up this defecit and dont use a hosepipe to top up the level of the pool is this classed as “maintiaining” the pool in the context of the restrictions?.

Hi Andy

No problem with it being topped up with rain. What they mean is not topping it up or ‘maintaining’ with mains drawn water.

I am on a committee which organises a annual plant sale in aid of the local National Trust estate. It will be held on May 13th. We have about 4000 plants in pots which have to be kept alive. May we use a hosepipe? Most of our volunteers are over 65 and would find it onerous to carry watering cans.

Hi Mrs Burston

I think you should contact Veolia directly as it’s rather a special case.

I have always watered my allotment by watering can which I fill from a water butt. I fill the water butt once a week by hosepipe and this alows me to quickly water the plants on a daily basis.
Do I have to change my ways?

Hi Alan

Normally I’d say you could do that, but looking at Veolia’s rules above, it seems you can’t in their region. If you look under “Using a hosepipe” – and point b) this would indicate you can’t fill a water butt with a hosepipe. Not what other companies are saying.

Might be worth contacting Veolia directly.