Eight water companies have now announced hosepipe bans across southern England and parts of Wales.
Those companies are:
- Affinity Water
- Anglian Water
- Cambridge Water
- South East Water
- Southern Water
- South West Water
- Thames Water
- Welsh Water
This means people cannot use hosepipes to do things like water gardens or fill ornamental ponds. However, you can use a hosepipe to top up garden ponds that have fish in them to ensure the health of the fish. This will need to be treated with a water conditioner first before it can be added to the pond.
However, we would always urge people to use water wisely and not waste it.
You could for example use your aquarium water taken out for water changes on your garden (unless it’s been medicated). But be careful that it cannot enter native water courses in case it spreads invasive aquatic plant debris.
For business customers, you should be able to continue to use a hosepipe where it’s necessary for the day-to-day operation of your business but you should always seek to use it as efficiently as possible. However, if your business is operating within a hosepipe ban area we would also suggest you check your local water company’s website for further information on business use.
