What Hosepipe Bans Are In Place In Your Area And What Does It Mean For Your Business?

16 August 2022

What is a Temporary Use Ban?

A Temporary Use Ban (TUB), also known as a hosepipe ban, is a formal ban on both public and domestic use of water in a region. This water-use restriction means that we must reduce our consumption levels by any means possible and try to ensure we don’t waste water.

Why are wholesalers applying TUBs?

In a record breaking heatwave, the water levels in UK rivers are dropping drastically. This is due to lower rainfall and hot, dry weather. The recent high water demands across parts of England has led to water shortages, low pressure or interruptions to local water supplies.

Wholesalers are taking measures to conserve our natural waterways and prevent further water supply disruptions and restrictions by asking domestic customers to use water wisely and reduce their water usage by over 10%.

Does it affect businesses?

There are some restrictions placed on businesses, mainly around using hosepipes for non-essential business purposes for example using a hosepipe to water commercial gardens. Do’s and don’ts for how TUB’s apply to businesses vary between Wholesalers. If a TUB is not saving enough water and dry weather prolongs, wholesalers may need to add further water restrictions for non-essential business use too.

A drought order would prevent companies and local authorities from using hoses for non-essential operating processes, such as: cleaning windows, watering plants and filling fountains and swimming pools. It would also stop golf courses using mains water to keep their grass green, although it would not prevent them using water from lakes or boreholes on the courses.

In the interest of saving water, business customers should still play their part by reducing their water use where practical. For more information on reducing business water consumption, read our blog post on Water efficiency for businesses during a heatwave.

Wholesaler TUB updates in your area

Wholesalers are encouraging businesses with heavy water consumption to minimise usage during peak hours. For up-to-date information on TUBs in your region, check the following wholesaler updates below.