Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of permitting exempt households to use hosepipes for non-essential purposes during temporary hosepipe bans on water conservation.

Water companies are responsible for deciding whether to implement a Temporary Use Ban during periods of water scarcity and must do so in accordance with their statutory drought plans and the relevant legislative framework.

The local water company can decide whether certain activities are exempt from the TUBs in their area. A common approach to applying discretionary exceptions is adopted by water companies (as outlined in Water UK code of practice).​

Customers meeting statutory or discretionary exception criteria, may continue using hosepipes, but are encouraged to use water responsibly and efficiently. Exemptions are unlikely to materially undermine the effectiveness of TUBs because they are generally targeted at activities that are either essential for health, safety or animal welfare, commercial activities where water use is relatively small and specific customer groups such as Blue Badge holders or Priority Services customers.

Research by the Environment Agency found that where TUBs had been used they can reduce the amount of water companies put in their distribution network by 3 to 5%, helping supplies last longer.