Pre-approved exceptions for certain categories of people or uses of water – if one of these applies to you then you can use your hosepipe for this reason

• Watering a garden using a hosepipe;

• Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe;

• Cleaning walls, or windows of a domestic premises using a hosepipe;

• Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe;

• Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

Where using a hosepipe for any of the restricted purposes is required for unavoidable health and safety, such as removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety or preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents or disease, this will not be restricted.

• Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool;

• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond;

• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain

Using a hosepipe where the welfare and/or health and safety of animals including fish is paramount will not be restricted.

Watering a garden using a hosepipe

A “garden” is a private or public garden, a lawn, a park; a grass verge; an area of grass used for sport or recreation; an allotment used for non-commercial purposes; and any other green space.

A garden is not:

• agricultural land,

• land used in the course of a business for growing any crops, fruits, vegetables or other plants for sale or commercial use;

• land used for National Plant Collection;

• a temporary garden or flower display (i.e. on show to the public for no more than 7 days); or

• plants in an outdoor pot or in the ground under cover (under cover being in a greenhouse, outbuilding or under a permanent canopy).

Using a hosepipe to water a garden for health or safety reasons.

NB for clarity: in this category, the definition of “a garden” includes “an area of grass used for sport or recreation”. Therefore, it should be noted that watering areas of grass, which are used for sport or recreation, is covered by a statutory exception for health or safety only in relation to the active strip/playing area, not the entire ground.

A garden includes: a park; gardens open to the public; a lawn; a grass verge; an area of grass used for sport or recreation; an allotment garden; allotment used for non-commercial purposes; any other green space.

• A hosepipe can be used to water turf at domestic premises where this cannot be reasonably done by watering can, where the turf was laid before the onset of TUBs, and for a period of four weeks which start from the date when the turf was laid, not the start of the TUB.

• A hosepipe can be used to water standard trees, whips, saplings and hedging planted within a three-year window of the imposition of the TUB (i.e. within the last three years of the start of a TUB), where this cannot be hand-watered or watered with non-potable water.

Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (or a trailer for such a vehicle) using a hosepipe

A "private motor vehicle" does not include:

(1) a public service vehicle, as defined in Section 1 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981(c), and

(2) a goods vehicle, as defined in Section 192 of the Road Traffic Act 1988(d). This includes:

• Public bus

• Any vehicles covered by an organisation’s “Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence”

• Military vehicles

• Snow ploughs and gritters

• Emergency service vehicles (including those used by gas, electricity, water and telephone companies)

• Hearses and accompanying funeral cars

• Recovery vehicles (only if they’re used exclusively for that purpose)

• Tractors and agricultural vehicles

• Mobile exhibition vehicles

• Catering vehicles

• Mobile shops

• Mobile medical screening vehicles

• Any vehicle of over 3.5 tonnes gross plated weight or (where there is no plated weight) an unladen weight of more than 1,525 kg to transport goods for hire or reward or in connection with a trade or Business.

• A hosepipe can be used in the course of a business to clean private motor vehicles where this is done as a service to customers, where this cannot be reasonably done using a bucket.

Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe specifically:

Plants in an outdoor pot or in the ground under cover (under cover being in a greenhouse, outbuilding or under a permanent canopy).

The TUB does not apply to 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.

• A hosepipe can be used to water food crops at domestic premises or private allotments, where this cannot be reasonably done by watering can.

• A hosepipe can be used to water turf at domestic premises where this cannot be reasonably done by watering can, where the turf was laid before the onset of TUB, and for a period of four weeks which start from the date when the turf was laid not the start of the TUB.

Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe

• Cleaning any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls.

• Using a hosepipe to clean a private leisure boat for health or safety reasons

• A hosepipe can be used for filling a water tank in a boat where the water is to be used for washing, cooking or sanitation purposes.

• A hosepipe can be used for commercial cleaning.

• A hosepipe can be used to clean vessels that are a primary residence.

• A hosepipe can be used to clean boats where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption.

• A hosepipe can be used on engines that are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe.

• A hosepipe can be used to prevent or control the spread of non-native and/or invasive species where other means are not appropriate.

Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool

• Filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction.

• Filling or maintaining a pool using a handheld 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 used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment.

• A hosepipe can be used when filling a swimming pool, paddling pool, swim spa or exercise spa that is a fixed structure from empty after construction or significant refurbishment. In this case significant refurbishment should be treated as equivalent to construction. Once it has been refilled then a hosepipe cannot be used for any subsequent filling.

• A hosepipe can be used for pools within places of worship or community pools when they are used as part of a religious ceremony.

Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use

• A hosepipe can be used when filling a hot tub that is a fixed structure from empty after construction or significant refurbishment. In this case significant refurbishment should be treated as equivalent to construction. Once it has been refilled then a hosepipe cannot be used for any subsequent filling. NB For clarity, where people use a hot tub for medical purposes, and cannot fill it with a watering can, then a hosepipe may be used on the grounds of health and safety.

• A hosepipe can be used for filling a water tank in a caravan or motorhome where the water is to be used for washing, cooking or sanitation purposes.

Filling or maintaining a domestic pond (manmade or natural) using a hosepipe

• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity.

Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain (including a cascade or any other display of moving water, and includes filling by permanent plumbing)

• 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.

• Ornamental fountains within places of worship or community ornamental fountains can be filled when they are used as part of a religious ceremony.

Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe

• Using a hosepipe to clean the walls or windows of domestic premises for health or safety reasons

• A hosepipe can be used where cleaning apparatus is not connected to mains supply.

• Electric pumps that are connected to water butts filled by rainwater are not covered by the restrictions.

• A hosepipe can be used to clean the walls and windows of domestic premises where this is done by a business as a service to customers.

NB For clarity: the use of water-fed poles by commercial cleaners for window cleaning at height is permitted under the health or safety exception. The domestic use of a water-fed pole is not permitted under this TUB.

Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe

• Using a hosepipe to clean paths or patios for health or safety reasons.

• A hosepipe can be used where cleaning apparatus is not connected to mains supply.

NB For clarity: electric pumps that are connected to water butts filled by rainwater are not covered by the restrictions.

• A hosepipe can be used as part of the process of preventing or controlling the spread of non-native and/or invasive species, where this cannot reasonably be done using other preferred means.

• A hosepipe can be used to clean the paths or patios of domestic premises where this is done by a business as a service to customers.

NB For clarity: the use of water-fed poles for cleaning at height is permitted under the H&S Statutory Exception. The use of water fed pole for domestic use by a householder is not permitted.

Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

• Using a hosepipe to clean an artificial outdoor surface for health or safety reasons.

• A hosepipe can be used where cleaning apparatus is not connected to mains supply.

NB For clarity: electric pumps that are connected to water butts filled by rainwater are not covered by the restrictions.

• A hosepipe can be used as part of the process of preventing or controlling the spread of non-native and/or invasive species, where this cannot reasonably be done using other preferred means.

• A hosepipe can be used to clean artificial outdoor surfaces of domestic premises where this is done by a business as a service to customers.

NB For clarity: the use of water-fed poles for cleaning at height by commercial cleaners for window cleaning is permitted for health or safety reasons. The use of water fed poles for domestic use by a householder is not permitted.