There are hosepipe-using activities that are not included in the ban. These are: 

• Using a hosepipe to water a garden for health or safety reasons, and where this includes (a) removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety; and (b) preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease;  
• Watering plants that are (1) grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or (2) that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display;  
• Cleaning any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls; or for health and safety reasons  
• Filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction;  
• Filling or maintaining a pool that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment;  
• Filling or maintaining a pool that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease;  
• Filling or maintaining a pool used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment;  
• Filling or maintaining a pool in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity;  
• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity; and  
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain which is in or near a fish-pond and whose purpose is to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in the pond in order to keep the fish healthy. 

NB Watering areas of grass, which are used for sport or recreation, is covered by a Statutory Exception for health and safety only in relation to the active strip/playing area, not the entire ground.   

South West Water are also allowing customers to use a hosepipe for:

• Watering food crops at domestic premises or private allotments using a hosepipe. This exception is purely for plants grown for food, and does not include other plants and flowers. 
• Watering newly laid turf using a hosepipe for the first 28 days 
• Watering newly bought plants for the first 14 days 
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain/pool to operate for religious purposes

We ask that customers use water wisely and on a time-bound basis only. These exceptions will be subject to regular review.   

You can still use a hosepipe for water that is not from the mains supply, like grey water, rainwater from a water butt, or water from private boreholes, artificial lakes or wells. 

Exempt customers:

Current Blue Badge Holders, and our customers on our Priority Services Register and WaterSure Tariff on the grounds of disability and medical requirements, are exempt from the ban.

Businesses are also exempt.

However, we ask all customers to use water wisely. 

Other specific exceptions include:

• Using an approved drip or trickle irrigation watering system, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist   
• Cleaning a private leisure boat vessel of primary residence; where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption; and where engines are designed to be cleaned by a hosepipe.

For commercial customers: 

• Commercial customers that use hosepipes in the course of their day-to-day business operation (for example hand car washing, window cleaning, graffiti removal), excluding the watering of domestic gardens. 
• In the course of a business to clean private motor vehicles where this is done as a service to customers;
• Commercial cleaning of a private leisure boat.

Terminology definitions 

"Using a hosepipe" includes the drawing of water supplied by the company from a container through a hosepipe; and filling a container by means of a hosepipe with water supplied by the company.  

“Garden” includes a park, gardens open to the public, a domestic garden, a lawn, a grass verge, an allotment used for non-commercial purposes and any other green space.  

“Hosepipe” includes anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe. The prohibitions apply whether or not any device is attached to the hosepipe, such as a sprinkler for example. 

“Using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use” includes operating water slides and other recreational equipment.   

I am not on a meter and have a fixed charge bill? Will I get a discount? 

No. Your bill is paying for water you’re using for drinking, washing, sanitation and central heating. It’s our responsibility to provide the water for you to do that, and a TUB is one of the ways we make sure that we can continue to do this. 

Are hot tubs and swim spas restricted? 

Yes, these cannot be filled or maintained using a hosepipe. 

Can I fill my swimming/paddling pool during a ban? 

No, you can’t fill a domestic private pool using a hosepipe unless one of these exemptions applies: 

• 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 

Am I allowed to water young or newly planted trees? 

You may water ‘standard’ trees planted in the last three planting seasons that cannot reasonably be hand-watered or watered with non-mains water. A ‘standard’ tree is a tree with a single stem with clear trunk [no side branches] for at least 1.8m above the ground.  

Does the ban apply to sprinklers? 

Yes it does. 

Can I use a pressure washer?

No, unless the need to use one is a recognised exception on the grounds of health and safety for people and animals. Blue Badge Holders, and our customers on our Priority Services Register and WaterSure Tariff on the grounds of disability and medical requirements, are exempt and can use pressure washers, although we would ask them to do so sparingly while the ban is in place. 

Can I use a hose to flush out gutters? 

Only where unavoidable for health and safety reasons, e.g. if the gutters are overloaded and become unsafe. We would be grateful if you could avoid completing work like this until the ban is lifted. 

Can I clean my patio/decking/pathways? 

The ban prohibits using a hosepipe and pressure/jet washers to clean patios, unless it is for unavoidable health and safety reasons, e.g. to avoid slips. Businesses who clean paths, patios or other outdoor surfaces as part of a service are exempt. However, we would ask you to wait until the ban is lifted for any such water use that isn’t really necessary. 

Can I wash my boat? 

You can clean the inside of your boat as this is not restricted. You can also use a hosepipe to clean your boat if it is your primary residence or in cases where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption or where engines are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe. 

I have seen someone breaking the ban, should I report it? 

If you feel someone is breaking the ban, you can report it to us and we will investigate further.  We know that some customers are exempt, and these will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis. 

What happens if I ignore the ban? 

We will investigate when a breach has been brought to our attention, we know that some customers are exempt, and these will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.  

It is an offence to contravene this prohibition. The maximum penalty for each offence is £1,000. 

We are asking everyone to follow the rules so that there is enough water to go round and we trust you to do the right thing for our region. 

We would like to thank customers who have already voluntarily cut back on water usage and for your understanding. 

Are businesses included in the ban? 

No. The ban applies to household customers only. Registered Businesses are exempt where hosepipe use is essential for business (Flood and Water Management ACT 2010).  

The reason for this is that when implementing any restrictions we have a responsibility to consider any potential economic and social impacts on business and communities. Many businesses will need to use water to carry out activities on which their business relies upon and which support jobs available.  It is because of this that we phase the implementation of water restrictions.

Though we are not expecting it to be needed, if the situation did not recover, our next step would be to apply for a Drought Order which asks the government to allow restrictions for business customers.

All that said, it is important that we all play our part is using water wisely.  With this in mind, we are working with retailers who sell water to businesses, to help promote the importance of saving water where they can. 

I have a holiday let, can I use a hosepipe? 

If this is a registered business the restrictions do not apply but we ask you to use water wisely as we all have a part to play in conserving water this summer. 

Can I water potted plants on my commercial property using a hosepipe? 

Yes, however we would ask that you consider alternatives to a hosepipe where possible. 

We are a garden centre – are we affected? 

No, garden centres are allowed to use hosepipes to water plants but we would encourage the use of watering cans as an alternative where possible. We would ask garden centres to recognise their ability to set an example to customers in how to manage water outside, e.g. promoting water-efficient gardening methods and the purchase of water butts, water-retaining gel granules and other products. 

I am a farmer. How will I be affected by the temporary use ban? 

Your commercial agricultural activities will not be affected by the ban, however, we would ask that where possible, you use water wisely. The ban will apply in your home and garden. 

Can I use a hosepipe when dealing with my livestock and animals? 

Yes, where this is unavoidable for health, safety or welfare reasons. 

Can I use a hosepipe to clean my pet or livestock? 

Washing and watering livestock or pets is not prohibited under the temporary use ban, but please use water wisely when doing so (why not collect the water and use it to water your plants?). 

What are you doing to manage and support the situation? 

We're working around the clock to bring new supplies online, further improve connections across our water network, find and fix more leaks than ever before, and speaking directly with customers and businesses to share water saving advice and free devices.  

We also continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to carry out the necessary steps in our established Drought Plan to minimise the risk to water supplies.

Among other measures, this includes increasing supplies through the application of Drought Permits for: 

• Upper Tamar Lake 
• Restormel Water Treatment Works 
• Stannon Lake  
• Park Lake 
• Hawk's Tor 
• River Porth at Rialton Intake 
• River Lyd 

All Dought Permits are temporary measures in response to an exceptional shortage of rainfall. There are no current Drought Permits in operation across our region.

What are we doing about leakage? 

In the last two years we’ve doubled the number of leak detection staff and now have 140 leak detectors finding and fixing around 2,000 leaks a month. This is how we’ve been able keep one of the lowest leakage levels in the water industry.  

Around 30% of leaks happen on customer pipes and that’s why we’re increasing the help available for customers with leaks.  

We’ve halved leakage levels in the region and we’re planning a further 15% reduction in leakage by 2025. 

With over 9,320 miles of pipework, detecting and repairing leaks can be a challenge. We’re using the latest tech and working around-the-clock to pinpoint and fix leaks as quickly as possible. 

If you spot a leak, even if it seems small, please let us know. You can call our free 24 hour leak helpline 0800 230 0561, report it on our website, or send a message on social media 

A leak has been reported and it hasn’t been fixed yet, why aren’t you sorting it out? 

There’s a few reasons why some leaks take a bit longer to fix. 

• If it’s on a customer pipe and we haven’t got permission to fix it 
• If we’re waiting on permission from local authorities and Highways England to close a road so we can fix the leak 
• Leaks are prioritized by the amount of water being lost, we might be in the same area fixing a larger leak.

When did the ban start, how long will it last, and when will it finish? 

The ban within the Colliford supply area started at 00:01 on 23 August 2022, the ban in the Roadford supply area started at 00:01 on 25 April 2023. 

We’ll constantly be monitoring the situation and the levels of water in our reservoirs and rivers. The ban will be lifted once these levels return to suitable levels to maintain supplies without restrictions. 

When the ban is lifted, we’ll let those affected know by publishing a notice in newspapers and other media and through customer communications. 

Are we running out of water? 

No, and there’s no risk to our drinking water supply for customers. However, there are certain habitats and wildlife that rely heavily on the water in the environment, and the current level of water is lower than we would expect at this time of year. 

So, having a hosepipe ban now will help keep as much water as possible in the natural environment. 

The ban will be lifted when demand has lowered and our reservoir levels return to normal. 

So there isn’t any risk to our customer’s supply, we’re working hard in three areas: 

• Moving water across the region 
• Finding and fixing leaks as quickly as possibly 
• Lowering the amount of water being used 

Are you always having hosepipe bans? 

No – although you may see the media talking about it every year. The Temporary Use Ban introduced last year was the first one introduced in the South West since 1996 - 26 years before!  Under normal circumstances we don’t need to introduce temporary use bans, but we need to put one in place to protect the environment and ensure that there is drinking water available for everyone. 

Why haven’t we built any new reservoirs? 

We’ve increased the amount of water the region can store - doubling it since the last drought in 1976. We’ve opened three new reservoirs, installed a new borehole in Devon, and we’ve also been investing heavily in how we can move water across the region to help keep everyone’s taps running.