Hosepipe Bans and Drought Rules: What You Can Still Water
In a drought, water companies issue a hosepipe ban — officially a Temporary Use Ban (TUB): no hose or sprinkler for the garden. The good news: a watering can or bucket stays legal, and harvested rainwater generally escapes the ban entirely. The rules differ from one supplier to the next, so always check your own water company. This guide complements the garden and heatwave guide.
General information: the exact terms and dates are set by your water company’s ban and can differ from the below. Always check the notice in force in your supply area.
The Chatelain Method under restrictions
We observe whether a ban applies in our supply area; we diagnose what remains permitted; we correct our watering habits; we prevent shortage with rainwater reserves.
What a hosepipe ban does and doesn’t cover
A Temporary Use Ban restricts specific domestic uses. Here is what generally applies — to confirm with your supplier.
| Use | Ornamental garden / lawn | Vegetable garden |
|---|---|---|
| Hosepipe / sprinkler | Banned during the TUB | Banned by hose; watering can allowed |
| Watering can / bucket | Allowed (mains, water butt or grey water) | Allowed |
| Drip / trickle irrigation | Often allowed with a pressure valve and timer, not handheld | Often allowed under the same conditions |
| Newly planted trees/shrubs | Many suppliers allow a watering can | Vegetable plots often exempted for a can |
The vegetable garden is frequently treated more favourably than an ornamental lawn, and a watering can is almost always permitted — but confirm the exact terms with your supplier.
The Chatelain’s rule of thumb. Ignoring a hosepipe ban is not trivial: it can carry a fine of up to £1,000. The discretion of a night-time hose does not exempt you from the ban — and a watering can does the job for the plants that truly need it.
The exception that changes everything: rainwater
Whatever the restriction level, harvested rainwater (butt, tank) can generally be used without restriction for the garden and vegetable plot — unless the notice says otherwise. It is the decisive reason to equip yourself: see harvesting rainwater in the garden. A well-sized reserve lets you ride out a heatwave without depending on the mains or breaking the rules.
How to find the rules where you live
- Your water company’s website: it publishes the Temporary Use Ban, its start date and the exact exemptions.
- The company’s supply-area checker, which tells you by postcode whether a ban applies.
- Local news, which relays newly declared bans by region.
Staying within the rules without sacrificing the garden
The right habits serve both the law and thrift:
- Harvest and use rainwater first (exempt from the ban).
- Water with a can at the cool hours, early in the morning (see watering in a heatwave).
- Mulch thickly to cut water needs.
- Install ollas that save up to 75 % of water (see terracotta ollas).
- Concentrate water on the essentials: vegetable plot and young plantings rather than the lawn, which will green up again with the rain.
FAQ
Can you water the vegetable garden during a hosepipe ban?
Usually yes, with a watering can or bucket: bans restrict hoses and sprinklers, not cans. Many suppliers also exempt vegetable plots and newly planted trees. Check your water company’s exact terms.
Is rainwater covered by the ban?
As a rule, no: harvested rainwater can be used without restriction for watering, whatever the level, unless the notice says otherwise. It is the best workaround.
What is the fine for breaking a hosepipe ban?
Breaking a Temporary Use Ban can carry a fine of up to £1,000. Better to stick to a watering can and the permitted uses.
Where can I check if a ban applies to me?
On your water company’s website, which shows by supply area or postcode whether a Temporary Use Ban is in force and what the exemptions are.
Sources and further reading
- Water UK — drought and hosepipe bans, your questions answered
- Royal Horticultural Society — watering in drought
- Jardiner Autrement — saving water in the garden
- Back to Garden Care and Permaculture
Written and verified by the editorial team at Les Jardins d’un Chatelain.