Outdoor water-use restriction

An outdoor water-use restriction is a ban or other lesser restrictions put into effect that restricts the outdoor use of water supplies. Often called a watering ban or hosepipe ban, it can affect:

• irrigation of lawns
• car washing
• recreational uses such as filling swimming pools and using water slides
• planting or grass or control of the types of grass planted
• hosing down pavement areas

Such bans may be put in place by local governments, or by a state government. In the latter case, local authorities often still can enact more restrictive measures.

Such a ban is usually enacted during droughts, to preserve water for essential uses such as drinking and flushing toilets, as well as for firefighting. If there is a water main break, or a problem with a water tower or other reservoir, a ban may be enacted on a very local and temporary basis. Bans that control water and plant uses can be permanent.

Abuse of such restrictions usually brings a warning at first, then a fine, and finally the cutoff of the water to the home or business if it continues. Enforcement is generally by the local water authority or even from police.

Businesses that use water as a critical part of their operations are usually not exempt. This includes car wash, plant nurseries, and other landscaping companies. A typical restriction on a car wash would be to recycle the water.

Typical restrictions include:

• the "odd/even" system, whereby odd-numbered addresses water on odd-numbered dates, and even-numbered ones on even-numbered dates
• There are also day-based restrictions where water use is restricted to specific days of the week
• time restrictions based on the hour of the day. Usage may be prohibited from noon or late morning until late afternoon or evening. This is the time of day, when much of the spray is lost to evaporation.

The use of drip irrigation systems may or may not be exempt from the restrictions, or be less restricted than normal water sprinklers. Using native vegetation, such as xeriscaping in desert locations, avoids having to water in the first place. Using greywater or stored runoff from a roof gutter downspout is also an alternative for trees and shrubs, but not for large expanses of grass, which would be difficult to cover.

Countries

Australia

Main article: Water restrictions in Australia

Water restrictions are in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages resulting from drought. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinkler systems, washing vehicles, hosing in paved areas and refilling swimming pools, among others. Water restrictions in Australia are enforced by fines and for repeat offenders by reducing water supply.

United Kingdom

A hosepipe ban is a British term for a water restriction placed on the customers of a water company to prevent them from using hosepipes, particularly for watering their gardens. The provider sometimes states that their customers are not allowed to use a sprinkler or unattended hosepipe for a few days (or longer), though commonly a total ban is enacted. Bans are usually only seen in England and South Wales, but rarely in Scotland due to the damper climate. Commercial customers are usually exempt in order to prevent loss of earnings or other such problems.

The water industry usually places such restrictions on their customers during droughts or when the reservoirs supplying the water are becoming empty.

Contravening a temporary water restriction is a criminal offence in the United Kingdom under the Water Industry Act 1991 (though the first prosecution for "wasteful use of water" was in 1921 and resulted in a fine of 20 shillings). Although offenders are usually warned, they are liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000 under the terms of the Act.

External links

• Down the drain, looking at the leaks in the system owned by Thames Water. The Daily Telegraph, 10 July 2005
• Water firms missing leak targets. BBC News, 14 July 2005.
• Water Industry Act 1991
• Guide to water industry with water saving tips, restriction information and news.
• Hosepipe ban website with resources and discussion about hosepipe bans in the UK