Cambridge Water and Anglian Water Implement Temporary Hosepipe Bans
Gardeners aiming to maintain their lawns and flowerbeds face new challenges due to extreme heat, as region-wide hosepipe bans have been introduced.
Cambridge Water and Anglian Water, which supply much of the East of England, have both enacted "temporary use bans" in response to warm temperatures, low rainfall, and a 30% increase in water consumption.
Violations of these restrictions may result in fines up to £1,000.
According to the Met Office, this region was the driest in the UK between 1991 and 2020.
Who Will Be Affected by the Hosepipe Bans?
Cambridge Water stated that the temporary ban is due to hot weather and limited rainfall.
Anglian Water provides drinking water and wastewater services to approximately seven million customers across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, and Suffolk.
The company serves several large towns and cities, including Northampton, Milton Keynes, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, and Peterborough.
The hosepipe ban took effect immediately, with legal enforcement beginning at 01:00 BST on Saturday.
Although Anglian Water also serves the Hartlepool area, the ban does not apply there.
Dr Geoff Darch, Anglian Water's head of strategic asset planning, commented:
"Understandably customers have wanted to stay cool and have fun in the sun, and our teams are working 24/7 to keep taps flowing across the region, but the unrelenting conditions are placing the environment and water supplies under increasing strain."
Hosepipe Ban in Place for Cambridge Water Users
Cambridge Water supplies drinking water to around 350,000 customers across Cambridgeshire and parts of Hertfordshire, including Cambridge, Ramsey, Gamlingay, Balsham, Melbourn, Royston, and Baldock.
The ban, announced on Thursday, is effective immediately, with restrictions enforceable from 01:00 BST on 17 July, according to a spokesperson.
Managing director Elena Karpathakis stated:
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly – it is the first time in more than 30 years, since the UK drought of 1995, that we have had to introduce a temporary hosepipe ban."
Speaking on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Natalie Ackroyd, the company's director of water quality and environment, affirmed the commitment to lifting the ban as soon as conditions improve.
"That will depend upon demand reducing to more normal levels and our water resources being in a more healthy position," she added.
What Can't I Do During a Hosepipe Ban?
Cambridge Water specified that prohibited uses include operating hosepipes, sprinklers, dripper hoses, automatic irrigation systems, and similar devices.
Activities not permitted during the ban include:
- Watering gardens or plants on domestic or other non-commercial sites
- Cleaning private motor vehicles or leisure boats
- Filling or maintaining domestic swimming pools, paddling pools, or ponds
- Cleaning walls, windows of domestic premises, or cleaning paths and patios
However, these activities may be performed if using mains water from a bucket or watering can, or water sourced outside the mains supply.
The temporary ban aims to protect local water resources and the region's internationally important chalk streams.
Who Will Be Exempt from the Hosepipe Bans?
Temporary use bans apply only to domestic customers, not commercial ones.
Anglian Water encourages non-domestic customers to remain mindful of the warm weather and use water responsibly, such as avoiding washing commercial vehicles.
Exemptions include:
- Individuals registered as disabled, blue badge holders, or on a water company's priority services register
- Businesses where hosepipe use is integral to their operations, such as garden centres and car washes
- Ponds requiring hosepipe use for the welfare of fish or aquatic animals
- Pools necessary for medical treatment
- Ornamental fountains used for religious purposes
- Newly laid turf or grass seeds, which can be watered with a hosepipe for 28 days
- Filling troughs for animals using a hosepipe
- Agricultural land used to grow crops, fruit, vegetables, or plants as part of a business
What Are the Penalties for Using a Hosepipe?
In the UK, hosepipe bans are enforced by water companies.
Under the Water Industry Act, companies may impose fines up to £1,000 for violations.
Cambridge Water indicated that enforcement actions may follow repeated or serious breaches and advised the public not to call emergency services if they observe hosepipe use.
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