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Changes to hosepipe bans unveiled Changes to hosepipe bans unveiled
(29 minutes later)
Householders in England and Wales may be unable to wash windows during a drought under plans to tighten hosepipe bans to be announced by the government. Householders in England and Wales could be unable to hose their windows during a drought under plans announced by the government to toughen hosepipe bans.
The bans, which can be introduced by water firms, already cover washing cars and watering gardens with a hosepipe. The bans already cover washing cars and watering gardens with a hosepipe.
From spring they could also forbid filling pools and cleaning patios - but school swimming pools and private pools for medical use would be exempt. From spring, water companies can also forbid filling pools and cleaning patios, but school pools and private pools for medical use will be exempt.
Ministers are expected to say they are preparing for a possible drought. Environment Minister Phil Woolas said the existing law was "inconsistent" and left gardeners feeling "singled out".
The dry weather of 2005 and 2006 led to empty reservoirs and hosepipe bans that affected about 13 million people.The dry weather of 2005 and 2006 led to empty reservoirs and hosepipe bans that affected about 13 million people.
The plain fact is we can no longer use drinking water for luxuries at times of crisis Phil Woolas Mr Woolas said: "We saw an extreme drought in the south east then, and outdated legislation meant gardeners couldn't water their plants with a hosepipe, but their neighbours could power-wash their patios or fill swimming pools.
The changes would give water companies powers to curtail domestic water use not covered in current laws introduced more than 50 years ago. "That situation was clearly inconsistent and illogical."
Under the planned restrictions, a long list of water-related activities will be added to the list.
The restrictions would reportedly cover cleaning a patio, filling pools and ornamental ponds, as well as using pressure hoses.
JacuzzisJacuzzis
However, watering registered collections of plants would also be among the non-essential uses of water permissible under the new restrictions. The changes will introduce a "discretionary use ban", leaving it up to individual water companies to decide which water-related activities to prohibit.
Environment Minister Phil Woolas told the Sunday Telegraph: "The plain fact is we can no longer use drinking water for luxuries at times of crisis. Firms will not have to consult ministers in order to act and could also stop people using hot tubs and jacuzzis, operating ornamental ponds and fountains and using pressure hoses.
The plain fact is we can no longer use drinking water for luxuries at times of crisis Phil Woolas
But gardeners maintaining registered collections of plants will be allowed to water them.
Mr Woolas said the country had to rely on individual "goodwill" during times of drought.
"But that goodwill can disappear very quickly when there are blatant anomalies and people feel they are being unfairly singled out," he added.
Earlier, Mr Woolas told the Sunday Telegraph: "The plain fact is we can no longer use drinking water for luxuries at times of crisis.
"These new measures may seem harsh to some but future droughts, especially in southern England, are inevitable and we have to act.''"These new measures may seem harsh to some but future droughts, especially in southern England, are inevitable and we have to act.''
He said the current drought order law, which was introduced in 1945, urgently needed updating because it was designed for a time when people did not have jacuzzis or hot tubs.