Temporary use ban (TUB) advice

You may not water your garden or allotment using a hosepipe.

You're automatically exempt and may use a hosepipe to water your garden or allotment if:

• you're watering food crops at domestic premises or private allotments
• you're using a hose for health and safety reasons (the definition of 'garden' includes 'an area of grass used for sport or recreation' – only the active playing area, not the entire ground)
• you're a Blue Badge holder
• you're using an approved drip or trickle irrigation system fitted with a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) and timer.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re watering an area required in connection with a national or international sports event
• you need to use a bowser or lance for health and safety reasons (e.g. working at height)
• you’re watering a newly laid turf (for the first 28 days)
• you’re on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility.

During this phase, you won't be able to use a hosepipe to water plants on domestic or non-commercial premises.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• the plants are grown or kept for sale or commercial use
• the plants are part of a national plant collection or temporary garden or flower display
• you're a Blue Badge holder
• you're using an approved drip or trickle irrigation system fitted with a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) and timer
• you're watering 'standard' trees planted in the last three planting seasons that cannot reasonably be hand-watered or watered with non-potable water. A 'standard' tree is a tree with a single stem with a clear trunk (no side branches) at least 1.8m above the ground.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re watering a newly laid turf (for the first 28 days)
• you’re watering newly-bought plants (for the first 14 days)
• you're on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility.

You may not clean a motor vehicle using a hosepipe. This includes using a pressure washer.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• it's a public service vehicle (as defined in section 1 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981)
• it's a goods vehicle (as defined in section 192 of the Road Traffic Act 1988)
• you're a Blue Badge holder.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re using a hose to clean a motor vehicle as part of a business
• you're on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility.

You may not clean a private leisure boat using a hosepipe.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• you're cleaning any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls
• you're using a hose for health and safety reasons
• it's for commercial cleaning
• the vessel is a primary residence
• fouling is causing increased fuel consumption
• the boat's engine is designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re using a hose to prevent or control the spread of non-invasive species
• you're removing graffiti, if part of a service to customers.

You won't be able to fill or maintain a domestic swimming or paddling pool or hot tub. 

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• it's necessary in the course of the pool's construction
• you use a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap
• the pool is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment
• the pool is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease
• the pool is used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment
• the pool is used to rear fish or other aquatic animals or keep them in captivity
• you’re filling or maintaining a pool which has religious significance.

You won't be allowed to draw water or use a hosepipe for domestic recreational use and there are no exceptions to this.

You may not fill or maintain a domestic pond using a hosepipe.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• the pond is used to rear fish or other aquatic animals or keep them in captivity
• you're a Blue Badge holder.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you're on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility
• you're filling and topping up a pond by fixed and buried pipes.

You may only use a hosepipe to fill or maintain an ornamental fountain if:

• it's 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.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re filling or maintaining a water feature with features of religious significance.

You may not clean walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe. This includes removing graffiti, unless as part of a service to customers.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• you're using a hose for health and safety reasons
• you're a Blue Badge holder.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re using a hose as a service to customers or as part of a business
• you're on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility.

You may not clean paths or patios using a hosepipe. This includes removing graffiti, unless as part of a service to customers.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• you're using a hose for health and safety reasons
• you're a Blue Badge holder
• it's for commercial cleaning.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

• you’re using a hose as a service to customers or as part of a business
• you're on our Priority Services Register for reasons relating to reduced mobility.

You may not clean artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe. This includes removing graffiti, unless as part of a service to customers.

You'll be automatically exempt if:

• you're using a hose for health and safety reasons
• you're a Blue Badge holder.

You may apply for our approval to use a hosepipe if:

you’re using a hose as a service to customers or as part of a business.

During this phase, you won't be able to water the following plants on commercial premises using a hosepipe:

• plants which are in a pot or other container that is outdoors or under cover
• plants which are in the ground under cover.

The only exceptions are if you are watering plants that are:

• grown or kept for sale or commercial use
• part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display.

You won't be able to fill or maintain a non-domestic swimming or paddling pool.

The exceptions to this are if you're:

• filling or maintaining a pool that is open to the public (this excludes pools only open to paying members of an affiliated club or organisation)
• filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction
• filling or maintaining a pool using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap
• 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 that is 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 pool that is for use by pupils of a school for school swimming lessons.

You won't be able to fill or maintain a pond during this phase.

The only exceptions to this are if you're:

• filling or maintaining a pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity
• filling or maintaining a pond using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap (this doesn't include filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe).

You won't be able to operate a mechanical vehicle washer, whether automatic or not.

You won't be able to clean any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean any of the following using a hosepipe:

• any exterior part of a non-domestic building other than a window
• a non-domestic wall.

The only exception to this is if you're cleaning any exterior part of a non-domestic building or a non-domestic wall for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean a window of a non-domestic building using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to clean an industrial plant using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to suppress dust using a hosepipe, other than for health or safety reasons.

You won't be able to operate a cistern in any building that is unoccupied and closed.