Hosepipe bans a thing of the past, says water company

Boss says traditional response to drought no longer relevant as social media can instruct people

HOSEPIPE bans could become a thing of the past as a leading water company says that they are “no longer relevant”.

Yorkshire Water said the effectiveness of temporary bans was limited, while behaviour change campaigns could be much more useful.

Richard Flint, chief executive, made the comments as the company published an independent “white paper” it commissioned to look at evidence on the effectiveness of both bans and alternative approaches.

“Hosepipe bans were developed as a 20th-century solution to drought, but we are now in a very different world,” said Mr Flint. “Social media means it’s now much easier to get messages to people and we have much more sophisticated ways of targeting information to make it easy for people to take action. We now need to ensure our drought plans reflect this, which might mean hosepipe bans are a tool that are no longer relevant.”

He added: “What is very clear from our customer research is that customers quite understandably don’t like the idea of being banned from carrying out activities involving a hosepipe, which for many people are personally important. However, most customers are happy to play their part by reducing consumption if they are given information on why changes are needed.”

It is estimated that only about one per cent of household water usage goes on the garden and one per cent on the car, meaning the scope for a ban to be able to reduce demand is limited.

However, ignoring hosepipe bans is a criminal offence under the Water Industry Act 1991 and can lead to fines of up to £1,000.

The move comes a day after Sir James Bevan, the Environment Agency chief executive, said England could face a “jaws of death” situation where there will not be enough clean water within 25 years. He said action is needed by the public to reduce water use but stressed that water companies must cut leaks and new desalination plants and reservoirs must be built.

Last summer, the British Leafy Salad Growers Association said the “soaring” temperatures were causing “havoc” for growers, as a hosepipe ban was introduced. Lettuce and other vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower were in short supply as high temperatures put the produce “under stress” and stopped them growing.

In 2014, a study by four universities conducted among almost 2,000 homes across southern England suggested that such restrictions have little impact on water shortages.

Research found that 56 per cent of householders never watered their gardens whatever the weather.

A quarter of those with gardens said they never used hosepipes or sprinklers anyway, preferring to use watering cans and jugs.