Borough Insight

Thames Water temporary hosepipe ban & water saving tips

On 23 July, Thames Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban (hosepipes) for its customers. Under these restrictions, customers must not use a hosepipe for:

- Watering gardens and allotments
- Washing cars and other private vehicles
- Cleaning windows, patios and outdoor surfaces, including jet washing
- Filling paddling pools, hot tubs and swimming pools
While the temporary use ban applies to all customers who get their water from Thames Water, some people can still use a hosepipe, including:
- Customers with certain disabilities or medical conditions
- Customers with severe mobility problems
- Where it's needed to protect human or animal health and safety
Full details including information on exemptions: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/temporary-hosepipe-ban
Thames Water: Water Saving Tips
  • A sprinkler can use up to 1,000 litres of water per hour, which is the equivalent of 25 people taking a 4 minute shower. 
  • Running the kitchen tap for 30 minutes uses more water than a typical household uses in a whole day - use a washing up bowl and reuse the water on your plants too!
  • Please do not use hosepipes under the current Temporary Use Ban. Please use a watering can for plant or garden watering.  Please reuse water where you can.

Practical ways to save water

Outdoors: 

  • Let lawns go golden: grass is remarkably resilient and will recover when wetter weather returns.
  • Keep using your can: although a hosepipe ban is in place, you can still fill up a watering can to use around the garden
  • Sweep, don't spray: use a broom to clean patios, paths and driveways instead of water.

At home:

  • Keep cool without running water: keep a jug or reusable bottle of cold water in the fridge instead of running the tap until it turns cold.
  • Take shorter showers: reducing shower time by just a minute or two can save a significant amount of water across the day.
  • Turn off the tap: whether you're brushing your teeth, shaving or washing dishes, avoid letting water run unnecessarily.
  • Run appliances only when full: with more people at home, it's easy to run extra loads. Wait until your washing machine or dishwasher is full.
  • Delay non-essential water use: consider putting off jobs that use extra water until the weather gets wetter.
  • Reuse water where you can: collect water that's otherwise going to waste, such as water used for washing food or dishes, and use it for your plants.

For kids:

  • Choose other ways to stay cool: outdoor games, shady activities and cooling off indoors can be just as much fun on hot days.
  • Make saving water a family challenge: set simple goals such as shorter showers or turning taps off while brushing teeth.
  • Get children involved: remind family members to turn taps off and help save water around the home.
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