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Veolia Water Southeast Hosepipe Ban Restrictions 2012

Updated 28/03/2012

This is the statement Veolia Water Southeast 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 Southeast’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 Southeast’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://southeast.veoliawater.co.uk/docs/drought-restrictions-explained.pdf

Contact details here: Veolia Water Southeast

36 replies on “Veolia Water Southeast 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.

Hi Hose

Is cleaning a chicken coop no matter what area you live in with a hose permissable as i presume it is an animal welfare issue?

I have a dog that always finds the dirtiest water on his walks. Am I allowed to hose him down once home?

I have a dog pen which is is soiled and cleaned daily. I clean it, diinfect it then hose it down. Would this be allowed under the “health and safety of animals or people” exception?

I run a dog grooming business from home and board dogs. I have gravelled my garden to make it easier to clean. Considering the health and safety issues, can I still hose down my garden area after disinfecting to clear area of urine etc?

I run a gardening business and am laying turf for my customers. Can I use a hosepipe to water it?

Hi can you confirm if we can continue fleet washing our trucks that are involved in food sitribution.Many thanks Simon

Am I allowed to top up my swimming pool using a watering can? I know it might take a while but when the going gets tough……..

Hi Confused

Swimming and paddling pools can’t be topped up at all even with a watering can under Veolia’s rules.

I’m now totally confused…if you are a blue badge holder under Veolia Water can you still use a hosepipe? My dad is 81 and severely disabled, the only activity he does everyday is to get himself to the bottom of the garden and water his tomatoes in the greenhouse using a hosepipe. The pipe is already set up in the greenhouse so he only has to turn the tap on. He wouldn’t be able to get down there himself with a watering can. Is he exempt or not? Thanks!

Hi Beattie

Under Veolia’s rules your dad needs to contact them for an exemption. Not automatically given by them, unlike some other water companies.

My Parish Council has about 140 allotment tenants on six sites spread around the Parish.Taps are few and far between so water butts are popular.
Am I to understand that the tenants can not use a hose to fill a butt and then use watering cans afterwards to conserve water?? This would mean that tenants will have long walks with heavy loads to the few taps available with the result that some will inevitably give up and let the allotments die defeating the object of providing one’s own food.
Some guidance will be appreciated especially as allotments are not mentioned specifically on Veolia’s website.
Actually, in law Allotments are not considered to be gardens and in past bans have been exempt therefore.

Agree entirely with the comments above re the exemption granted to sports facilities. Ridiculous

In the home page FAQs it says: –

“A few examples of what is acceptable under hosepipe ban water usage restrictions:

â–  Topping up/changing water in ponds that contain fish or other species such as frogs, newts etc..”

Does this apply to Veolia Water as I have a large ornamental pond containing a large number of fish including Koi and Ghost Carp?

Hi Richard

If it’s an animal welfare issue then you are allowed to use a hosepipe.

I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS ON THIS PAGE,ITS AMAZIING HOW SPORT IS REGARDED AS THE HOLY GRAIL.IS THIS ALL MONEY RELATED ?
WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO LOVE THIER GARDENS AND ALLOTMENT SURELY THE GROWING OF YOUR OWN VEGTABLES MUST COME BEFORE SPORTING ACTIVITY IN THESE HARD TIMES . LET THESE STADIUMS AND ARENAS SPEND SOME OF THE MONEY THEY PAY THE FOOTBALLERS AND THE LIKE INSTALL THIER OWN WATER STORAGE FACILITYS IF IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE MODERN DAY FACILITIES IN SUCH PRESTIGE CONDITION.
I SUPOSE A LOT OF THIS IS AIMED AT THE 2012 OLYMPICS WHICH THERE SEEMS TO BE SO MUCH FUSS AND INCOVENIENCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Please can you tell me whether I am allowed to use a hosepipe to clean my van I use for my business thanks

Hi Terry

As long as it’s registered in the name of the business then you can use a hosepipe on it.

I simply don’t understand why “watering a field of play to be used for a national or international sporting event” should be allowed !!! I mean, a sporting event could hardly be described as a matter of life or death, now can it ?

Dear Sirs,
Having read through the information above, I can fully understand why one shouldn’t use a hosepipe to water the garden. However, this being the case, I simply don’t understand why “watering a field of play to be used for a national or international sporting event” should be allowed !!! I mean, a sporting event could hardly be described as a matter of life or death now can it ? Indeed, as far as I’m concerned, what’s good for the Goose, should be good for the Gander, as the old saying goes!

Can I use my hose to fill a watering can to water my plants or will I have to disconnect it and fill my can from the outside tap ?
I assume using the watering can is still OK ?

Hi Ian

Technically you could only fill the watering can with a very short length of hosepipe connected to your tap. Yes you can still use a watering can.

I have just had over 120 sqm of turf laid in my back garden, can I use a hose to water it until it has established.

Hi Angela

You’d need to contact Veolia and ask for an exemption period.

If you and the other water companies spent the extortionate amount of money you charge us every month on repairing leaking pipes instead of filling your back pockets we wouldn’t be in this situation.

I don’t suppose you will be reducing our bills while this is going on?….No, thought not.

Well said Paul. I can’t believe how much the water bill has gone up by since they have realised that we have no choice other than to pay.

Does the restriction apply to power washers to clean your car. I found in the past that you use less water by this method than filling buckets of water.

The restriction on power jet wash is somewhat sill as they use much less water than using a bucket which is allowed, please advise what this restriction is in place when the alternative will use more water, I thought the aim was water conservation ?

I understood that the use of a hosepipe to water a garden using a timed trickle water system would be acceptable during the hosepipe ban. Could you please clarify whether this is acceptable? I live in Harpenden, Herts

Hi Penny

Some water companies are allowing timed irrigation systems of specific types. Looking at the rules above, Veolia makes no mention of it so you’d need to contact them for more information.