When I had my rant about the hosepipe ban, there were a few comments made that I wasn’t 100% sure about. I’d hate people to take advice off my website (even posted by others) and end up in court.
So I’ve telephoned the press office at United Utilities and got confirmation from the horse’s mouth.
Disabled Users – Hosepipe Ban
Disabled users are exempt from the hosepipe ban. They agree it would disadvantage the disabled to have to carry watering cans about. A lot of sites provide special disabled raised beds and this means they can continue to use a hose to water.
Even those gardening on a normal plot or back garden may use a hose if disabled but please don’t abuse the privilege. Thanks for the heads up to Jon Ward.
Using a Hosepipe to Fill a Watering Can
Now this is a surprise to me and potentially very useful to those whose plot is away from the tap or those like me with long plots. Paul had commented that he’d asked United Utilities on twitter
Is it possible to fill a watering can from a hosepipe, thus extending the source pipe?
Their answer was
Yes you can use it to fill your watering can.
I’ve confirmed this with United Utilities. So if you run a hosepipe from a tap down your plot and use it to fill your watering can, this is legal. Using the hosepipe to directly water the plants is illegal.
Obviously this is going to make life a lot easier for many plotholders.
me and the missus have 3 plots, (approx 500 sq mtrs), she is disabled, i am her carer, how does the hosepipe ban work for us. I dont have time to water the plots by can (we have youngsters that i also care for). I water approx every 4-5 days if we have no rain (dependinding on sun/wind). so can i use an hose or would she have to go to the plots alone,(not possible) or could i be present to physicly move the hose ?!!! We have 5 21 x8 ft beds (summer & autumn) and 3 28 x 12 ft beds (winter & spring) plus a 25 ft sq chicken run, a 17 x 8 ft greenhouse, a 17 x 24 ft fruit cage, a 24 x 6 ft salad patch and a small (11 semi dwarf trees) orchard + tool shed, patio, compost bins, muck bay and parking for me and the first neibourgh to arrive. A lot of cans of water for 1 man with 6 kids (3 dependant), 3 grand kids, and a missus with a permanant disabiliaty. hows that u/utilitys. PS we live on an island, how do we run out of water? never heard of de-salination, expensive ? yes but 1 off and not 400 million (profit in 1 year), no where close.
Hi John, some confusion is arising with regards to hosepipes. i’ve spoken to United Utilities today and they say that, apart from the disabled exemption, the use of hosepipes is totally banned. therefore the advice you were given on filling watering cans from a hose is not correct according to their spokesman.
I rang their press office and spoke to Nick, I think, who said he would have to check re the hosepipe and call back – which he did and stated that it was permissible to use a hosepipe as an extension to a tap to fill watering cans but not to water directly.
Does the left hand know what the right hand does at UU? I think not.
We had an e-mail from our allotment society which contained anumber of e-mails back and forth from UU press office to someone from NSALG. UU now state it is allowed to fill a waterbutt on an allotment from a hosepipe connected to the mains, so long as you only use watering cans filled from the butt to water the crops.