When will there be a hosepipe ban?

these state that it will only need to restrict customers’ use of water, on average, no more than three times every 100 years.

It adds: “We consider that rota cuts/standpipes for our customers are unacceptable as a response to drought.”

Water companies can use drought orders, emergency drought orders, and drought permits to control the way in which water is used.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES A HOSEPIPE BAN MEAN?

It’s now much more than just hosepipes, basically.

Up until eight years ago, water companies were only allowed to restrict the use of a hosepipe if it was to water a garden or wash a private car. But since the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010, water companies have had wider powers to restrict water use.

There are two types of orders which can be used:

A temporary use ban (TUB) is a way in which they can reduce customer demand for water during a drought by banning specified activities, such as watering a garden using a hosepipe or filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool.

They can also also apply for a drought order to bring in a non-essential use ban (NEUB), which is a more severe measure to reduce demand by banning even more activities, including commercial uses of water, such as watering outdoor plants on commercial premises or operating a car wash. People who break the bans can be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.

DO I GET MONEY BACK IF THERE’S A HOSEPIPE BAN?

Good luck with that. Severn Trent says that: “We will not make any extra payments to customers if we apply restrictions in line with our stated levels of service.”

And it adds: “We are not required to pay compensation to customers if the circumstances are so exceptional that, in Ofwat’s view, it would be unreasonable to expect the interruption to supply to be avoided.”