Is there a hosepipe ban?

Hosepipe restrictions are what most of us would call a hosepipe ban.

The legal term for this is “Temporary Use Ban” or “TUB”. You might see this phrase when we’re communicating formally about the restrictions – for example advertising it in the press. 

We’ve had one of the driest springs on record, with Yorkshire being declared in drought. Usually, spring is a time when our groundwater sources and reservoirs continue to be topped up by changeable weather, but this has not been the case in 2025, with our reservoir stocks last increasing in the last week of January.

While we’re out 24/7 fixing leaks and looking after your water, we’re asking customers to put down their hosepipes so we can let our reservoirs recover. Having hosepipe restrictions in place means we can consider applying for drought permits, which means we can change how we’re operating and further protect water supplies and the environment.

The hosepipe restrictions start on 11th July.

Simply put, if your home receives its water supply from Yorkshire Water, then the restrictions will affect you. It will not affect customers who receive wastewater services from Yorkshire Water but clean water supply from another water company – for example in the south of our region where some customers are supplied by Severn Trent (customers in this area should check with Severn Trent for any restrictions).

If you’re a NAV customer here in Yorkshire, the restrictions still apply to you, and you’ll be contacted directly by your NAV. You can find the NAV’s contact details on your latest water bill.

If you’re a business or non-household customer, you are allowed to use a hosepipe if this is directly related to the use of water for your commercial purposes, but the restrictions do apply if you’re not using a hosepipe for essential needs find out more about how the hosepipe restrictions affect your business.

Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.  Further definitions may be found in the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. 

We can’t say for certain, but the restrictions would need to be in place until we receive significant rainfall, and our reservoir levels return to a situation much closer to normal. We can’t predict the weather, but we will not have the restrictions in place any longer than is absolutely necessary. We will be closely monitoring this and will keep everyone updated.

The hosepipe restrictions will come into place from 11th July for all Yorkshire Water customers.

If you receive your clean water services from us, then you are affected by the restrictions.

If you’re a NAV customer here in Yorkshire, the restrictions still apply to you, and you’ll be contacted directly by your NAV. You can find the NAV’s contact details on your latest water bill.

If you’re a business or non-household customer, you are allowed to use a hosepipe if this is directly related to the use of water for your commercial purposes, but the restrictions do apply if you’re not using a hosepipe for essential needs find out more about how the restrictions affect your business.

Yes, on 12th June the Environment Agency announced that Yorkshire had entered drought status following the driest spring in 132 years.

 Water companies use the EA’s drought triggers to identify and plan how to act in different drought conditions.

We monitor rainfall, water levels and other environmental factors to determine when we need to protect water supplies. However, we know that climate change will increase the pressures on our water resources and so our long-term Water Resources Management Plan is setting out the investment that we may require to ensure continued resilient supplies into the future. A hosepipe ban is now known as a Temporary Usage Ban. Further definitions may be found in the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. 

We’ve had an extremely dry spring and the drought conditions have challenged our water resources overall. With little rainfall to replenish our stocks and storage, our reservoir levels are looking low for this time of year. We’re doing everything we can to find and fix leaks as quickly as we can, but we can all do our bit to use less and save more water. Even turning off the tap while cleaning your teeth will help. Visit our website for tips and information www.yorkshirewater.com/save for a free water saving pack, which includes a save-a-flush device.

The actions we are taking now are designed to protect water supplies so that all our customers have the water they need when they need it. By introducing hosepipe restrictions, we’re hoping to reduce water usage which will help to conserve the water in our reservoirs and also help them to top back up when we do have some rain.

We’re doing everything we can to find and fix leaks as quickly as we can, but we can all do our bit to use less and save more water. Even turning off the tap while cleaning your teeth will help. Visit our website for tips and information www.yorkshirewater.com/save.

The warm and dry weather has meant that we are using more water, especially at peak times. As the dry weather continues, our reservoirs are also lower than we would like, so we’re asking customers to put down their hosepipes as they waste a lot of water. By introducing hosepipe restrictions, we’re hoping to reduce water usage, which will help to conserve the water in our reservoirs and also help them to top back up when we do have some rain.

Hosepipes use large amounts of water, so we’re hoping that if our customers stop using them, we’ll be able to save more water. We know from last time that introducing hosepipe restrictions does reduce water use and it’s an important part of our drought plan. Our plan determines what steps we need to take, and we need to introduce hosepipe restrictions now so that we can apply for drought permits.

Experiences from the Canal and River Trust shows that where they have implemented similar restrictions in the past, they have subsequently seen decreases in total lock usage. However, the water resource savings do vary across different canals and between years.

We can’t give permission for you to do this. You would have to contact the Environment Agency.

Planning for population growth is a key consideration in our long-term Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP). We use population and property forecasts from Local Authority Development Plans and from the Office for National Statistics. These are used to help us forecast future demand for water, so we can determine if there is a requirement for further demand management or new sources of water. Our current WRMP is available here: yorkshirewater.com/water-resources-management-plan/ 

Use water wisely. There are lots of tips and advice on our website. People can also apply online for free water saving devices at yorkshirewater.com/save

Our top tips for saving water are:

• Please don’t use a hosepipe until the restriction has been lifted, we’ll let you know when that is.
• Re-use your bathwater or washing up water to water your gardens – it won’t harm the plants
• If you’ve got a modern toilet with dual flush, use the short flush wherever possible
• Use a washing up bowl instead of letting the tap run – you can reduce wasted water by up to 50%!
• Use your dishwasher. You’ll save yourself a job and often they use less water than washing dishes by hand – remember to do a full load each time.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, it’ll save up to six litres of water per minute! For a family of four that could be up to 48 litres a day.
• Boil only what you need when you make a cuppa, many people overfill the kettle and the water just goes up in steam
• Water your garden with a watering can in the early morning or late evening, when less water is lost through evaporation
• Only wash full loads in your washing machine
• Use a bucket and sponge to wash your car, rather than a hosepipe; or try some of the new waterless car washing products
• Spend a minute less in the shower every day – if each member of a family of four spent one minute less in the shower they could save approximately 36 litres of water a day! Saving on hot water can also help you save on energy bills.

People can help by reporting leaks to us as soon as they see them.

Report a leak

The Canal and River Trust has top tips for boaters to help to save water. They include:

• Share locks where possible and make the best use of the water available;
• Make sure paddles are fully closed once you’ve passed through a lock;
• Aim for minimal contact when navigating through locks by ensuring gates are fully open as you pass through. Pushing gates open using a boat can damage the gate lining, increasing its leakage.

Marina owners, particularly those with hire fleets, can help by encouraging boaters to follow these simple tips:

• Please only use the water point to fill up your water tank to use for drinking water and hygiene purposes.
• Please do not use the water point to wash your boat with a hose or jet washer.

No, as hot tubs hold large amounts of water like paddling pools, customers can not fill them up with a hosepipe. You can use a bucket to fill it up – but please make every drop count and help protect the environment and our precious water supplies by only using water where you really need to.

You can refill a pool or hot tub with a hand-held container. You cannot fill a hot tub with a hosepipe. You cannot fill a domestic private pool using a hosepipe, unless these circumstances are relevant:

• The pool needs to be filled during construction 
• The pool is used for a medical reason 
• The pool is used for veterinary treatment 
• Fish or aquatic animals are kept in the pool

Yes, you can fill a newly purchased hot tub or exercise spa that is a fixed structure from empty after construction using a hosepipe. But if you are able to delay building the hot tub/spa until the restrictions are lifted, this would really help.

Once it has been filled after purchase, a hosepipe cannot be used for any subsequent filling.

A hosepipe can be used to fill or maintain a hot tub that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment.

This is defined as a pool with a permanent filter system which allows continuous circulation of the water, and no regular discharge is necessary to maintain water quality. Only discharge allowed is backwashing to clean filters as part of regular maintenance. Ideally backwashing of filters should be no more than once a week for not more than a few minutes at time. However, you cannot use a hose to top up the swimming pool.

No, you can fill a hot tub with a hand-held container, not a hosepipe.

Customers on the Priority Services Register (PSR) are exempted from the restrictions.

In reality, there should be very little harm to the flora and fauna in your garden, but it may be more useful to put the water into water butts, or use it for cleaning items such as greenhouses, or vehicles. To protect the environment, please never put the water from a hot tub into a watercourse (such as a river or stream) as this can damage wildlife.

No, a hot tub used as part of a business is not included in the restrictions.

If you pay council tax on this holiday let, you are a domestic customer and, therefore, must observe the water use ban and not use a hosepipe. You can fill a hot tub with a hand-held container, not a hosepipe.

If you pay business rates, you are a commercial customer and do not fall under the restrictions and can use a hosepipe.

Professional service companies are able to maintain and top up hot tubs and pools using a hosepipe from the domestic tap water supply, where it is needed for health and safety reasons. They should give you advice on minimising water loss. They can also bring in water to the pool from their business premises. Service contracts are highly recommended so that the client can achieve the most efficient use of precious water resources and minimise their energy and chemical costs.

Breaching the restrictions is a criminal offence under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended). The person using the hosepipe would be liable to a fine.

Providing the filling of the pool is part of its construction, or a significant repair or a refurbishment, then this does not fall within the restrictions, and therefore a hosepipe can be used. The first fill of the pool should only be filled by the specialist business contracted to carry out the work. Thereafter, the pool can only be filled with a hand-held container, not a hosepipe connected to the mains supply.

Yes, the pool can be filled with a hosepipe where necessary to complete the construction. But if you are able to delay building the pool until the restrictions are lifted, this would really help. Thereafter, the pool can only be filled with a hand-held container, not a hosepipe.

If the pool is a commercial one, then a hosepipe can be used to top it up.

If the pool is a domestic one, a hosepipe cannot be used to top up the pool unless this is done by a service company as part of a maintenance contract.

The use of a hosepipe connected to the mains supply to fill a domestic swimming pool is prohibited unless it is necessary as part of its construction, significant refurbishment, or for a particular health and safety purpose.

Examples of significant refurbishment include works that might entail major alterations to the shape or size of the pool, or to its immediate surroundings, repairs of significant leaks, or the installation of a completely new liner. Minor repairs, such as the replacement of tiles, would not qualify as significant refurbishment.

Ideally, water from the domestic pool to be refurbished or repaired should be retained in a temporary structure, subject to any space restrictions on site and depending on the suitability of the water being retained. Where it is necessary for the water level in the pool to be maintained to a specific level, (i.e. to support safety covers and liners, and for filtration) then top ups can be made using handheld containers such as buckets.

No. Sprinklers are covered by the restrictions. In just one hour a sprinkler uses as much water as a family of four would typically use in a day. It would be great if you could use a watering can instead. There is advice on the RHS website about how to care for lawns, for example, during hot spells the advice is that grass can be left to turn brown as it will bounce back to green once the rains return.

Most water fountains operate by recycling a small amount of water drawn from the same body of water into which it pours water. If this is the case, you may continue to operate it. If, however, it needs to be replenished with water from a hosepipe, you cannot use it while restrictions are in place, unless its purpose is to supply sufficient oxygen to water in a nearby pond to keep fish healthy.

Irrigation systems may be used if it is a fixed drip or trickle irrigation watering system, connected to a metered water supply. The system must be fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer and the system must place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface without any surface run off. It must not disperse water through the air using a jet or mist.

If the system is not like this then it cannot be used when connected to mains water. However, irrigation systems may be used when connected to a grey water or rainwater recycling system ( i.e. not attached to the mains system).

The restrictions focus on the use of mains water only. So, if the water is not drawn from a tap, then piping can be used.

Yes.

A hosepipe can be used for watering food crops but not for general flowers and plants.

Where you can, we’d encourage you to use a watering can to save on the volume of water which is used through traditional hosepipes. It’s best to water in the morning or evening, as that means the water won’t evaporate quickly in the sunshine.

You will still be able to water your garden using a watering can.

Yes – the restrictions include using a hosepipe to fill a container with water supplied by Yorkshire Water, such as from the tap. You can use a hosepipe to fill your can up from another source – like a rainwater butt or private borehole supply.

Under the terms of the hosepipe restrictions, you can water newly laid turf for 28 days with a hosepipe. However, we would hope that anyone who needs to do so would respect the spirit of the restrictions and consider how you can use water wisely whilst doing so.

You can water your grass seed for the first 28 days with a hosepipe, after that you’ll need to use a watering can. Please use the hosepipe sparingly and try to use it for a short amount of time. If it’s raining one day, think about whether you need to use your hose.

As not watering your grass roof could have health and safety implications, you are allowed to continue to use your hosepipe to do this.

A hosepipe can be used to water standard trees, whips, saplings and hedging planted within a three-year window of the imposition of the hosepipe restrictions (i.e. within the last three years of the start of  hosepipe restrictions), where this cannot be hand-watered or watered with non-potable water. 

No, they can’t use a hosepipe on domestic or non-commercial gardens or plants. The only exception is for newly laid/sown lawns and new planting, which they can water with a hose for the first 28 days.  

If a commercial painting or maintenance company is working on a commercial property, then a hosepipe can be used.

If a commercial painting or maintenance company is working on a domestic property, then a hosepipe can be used.

If a domestic customer is working on a domestic property, then a hosepipe cannot be used. Water can be used through means of a bucket handheld container.

A domestic property is one that is subject to council tax; a commercial property is one that is subject to business rates.

If a commercial painting or maintenance company is working on a commercial property, then a hosepipe can be used.

If a commercial painting or maintenance company is working on a domestic property, then a hosepipe can be used.

If a domestic customer is working on a domestic property, then a hosepipe cannot be used. Water can be used through means of a bucket handheld container.

A domestic property is one that is subject to council tax; a commercial property is one that is subject to business rates.

Where the accommodation is not formally registered as a business, i.e. the property owner pays council tax, not business rates, any garden associated with the accommodation is classed as a domestic garden and falls under the restrictions.

If the property owner pays business rates, this means you are a commercial customer and do not fall under the restrictions and can use a hosepipe.

There is lots of helpful information about re-using water for gardening on the RHS website.

Plants can be watered with shower, bath, kitchen and washing machine water (from rinse cycles). There should be no problem with small-scale, short-term use of dish or shower water to tide plants over in summer drought. An exception is on edible crops, due to the risk of contamination from pathogens in the water.

You can use a hosepipe for activities directly associated with your building work, e.g. mixing cement, but not for cleaning paths and roads unless for health and safety purposes. You can continue to water newly laid turf (until its 28 days old) with a hosepipe.

No, this use of a hosepipe is not allowed. You can still use water to wash your wetsuit with as a bucket or hose attachment but please avoid spreading non-native and/or invasive species.

We’re encouraging our customers to think twice about cleaning their car at the moment. If you still feel you need to wash the muck off, you can do so with a bucket and sponge. Or, you can just give the windows, mirrors, lights and number plates a quick clean.

Hosepipes use approximately a 1000 litres of water an hour. A standard size bucket may only use 10 litres. We would really appreciate if everyone could look at ways to use methods which are much less wasteful.

Commercial car wash businesses will still be operating, as the restrictions currently cover only domestic type uses. We’re working closely with our non-household retailers to encourage businesses to reduce their usage where they can.

Commercial car washes are not affected by the temporary usage restrictions.   

Many commercial car washes recycle and reuse water. We need to strike the right balance between water efficiency and ensuring that businesses are not severely impacted. There are some good water efficient products out there which use much less water than a traditional hosepipe. We’re working closely with our non-household retailers to encourage businesses to reduce their usage where they can.

You can fill up your internal water tanks using a hosepipe at home or on a campsite provided that this water is for domestic use i.e. washing, cooking and flushing toilets. The hosepipe restrictions do not allow owners to wash the motorhome itself using a hosepipe.

You can’t use a hosepipe to clean private leisure boats, except:

• any areas enclosed by walls and a roof
• where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption or where engines are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe
• to prevent or control the spread of non-native and/or invasive species
• if the vessel is your primary residence
• if you are a business where boat cleaning is done as a service to customers

Yes, you can fill onboard drinking and washing water tanks in boats and caravans as these falls under the health & safety exception. In addition, these do not fall into prohibited activities.

Yes. This is not covered by the restrictions if the water is to be used for washing, cooking or sanitation purposes.

No, you can only hold the car wash if you do not use a hosepipe or a pressure washer. You could use buckets and sponges, which are a great way to reduce water usage.

While we’d prefer everyone to use a low water usage apparatus during the restrictions, such as a bucket and sponge, there are some vehicles which can still be washed with a hosepipe. These are:

• Public bus
• Any vehicles covered by an organisation’s “Goods Vehicle Operator’s License”
• Military vehicles
• Snow ploughs and gritters
• Emergency service vehicles (including those used by gas, electricity, water and telephone companies)
• Hearses and accompanying funeral cars
• Recovery vehicles (only if they’re used exclusively for that purpose)
• Tractors and agricultural vehicles
• Mobile exhibition vehicles
• Catering vehicles
• Mobile shops
• Mobile medical screening vehicles
• Any vehicle of over 3.5 tonnes gross plated weight or (where there is no plated weight) an unladen weight of more than 1,525kg to transport goods for hire or reward or in connection with a trade or business.

• Private car
• Taxi
• Limousine
• Wedding Car
• Private hire minibus
• Private hire coach
• Any other vehicle including those used in the course of running a business (e.g. white van)

You can use your hosepipe to clean animals and their areas, e.g. yard or stable. We would encourage you to be as efficient as possible when you do this.

Yes, you can use a hosepipe to fill the trough for your animals.

Yes, you should keep your pond topped up to a minimum level to safeguard the fish but please remember that tap water needs conditioning before it is used to top up a pond.

No. We are writing to all Priority Services customers proactively to tell them that we would really like their help and if they can refrain from using their hosepipe that would be great but if they do need to use them, they – along with Blue Badge holders –would be exempt.

To register, please fill out our Priority Services registration form.

If you're on our Priority Services Register, you'll have received a letter confirming your exemption from the restrictions. However, we still encourage all customers to use water responsibly to protect our drinking water supplies.

We're sending out letters and relying on Royal Mail's delivery times. You should receive your letter within the first week of the announcement.

If it hasn't arrived within 2 weeks, please contact us at 0345 1 24 24 24, and we'll check your registration status.

People who are registered disabled, a blue badge holder or a Priority Services customer will be exempt from the hosepipe restrictions, but we would still ask them to be mindful of the amount of water they use. We don’t want anyone to put themselves at risk unnecessarily and recognise that some of these customers will struggle with the restrictions which will be in place.

If you are a blue badge holder, on our Priority Services register, or our WaterSure tariff for medical reasons, then you will be an exception to the restrictions. However, we would still encourage you to think about how you could save and re-using water around the home as much as you can.

People should not put themselves at risk unnecessarily. If you know someone who may struggle to use a watering can, they can apply for an exemption.

No, only the blue badge holder or people registered as a Priority Services customer are covered by the exemption. Our intention is to support those who are unable to use an alternative to a hosepipe.

We’re writing to all our customers who are on our WaterSure tariff for medical reasons to let them know that the hosepipe restrictions don’t apply to them. We know that not everyone can cut back, especially if they rely on water for medical or wellbeing reasons.

These prohibited water uses are covered by section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. Further definitions may be found in the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. 

We hope that our customers would respect the restrictions, if not, we do have the ability to enforce it, and customers could be subject to a £1,000 personal fine which will be paid to the Treasury. Many customers have already voluntarily been cutting back on using water guzzling devices to do their bit and we are really grateful for that.

We are asking our customers to help us by abiding by the hosepipe restrictions and hope that they will. The legislation gives a court power to fine customers who ignore it up to £1,000, but we hope it won’t come to that. Even so, it’s important people respect the restrictions when it is in place from 11th July. It is only temporary, and normal service will resume as soon as we can.

We will be asking everyone to adhere to the restrictions. If we are told repeatedly about someone breaking the restrictions, the first thing we do is remind them of their obligations. This is usually enough. However, if they continue to use a hosepipe, we may escalate our enforcement accordingly.

Our colleagues are regularly out and about as part of their day-to-day work. If they spot people breaching the restrictions as they go about their day-to-day jobs, they may speak to them, or we may send them a letter reminding them of their obligations.

If you think you should be an exception to the restrictions you need to contact us.