Hosepipe ban - Can they fine you?

[HomerJSimpson]

United Utilities in the northwest of England are imposing a hosepipe ban from friday. Apparently you face a £1000 fine if caught floughting the ban.

 

Is there any law that allows them to impose such a fine?

 

HJS

[treechocred]

yes they do have the power to fine you under the Water Industry Act 1991

[rebel11]

The hot whether is due to continue. Best to adhere. The summer of 1976 comes to mind.

[Surfer01]

Could be interesting if someone got caught and fined and then challenged the law on the basis that the water company is using the law to their advantage by not doing enough to conserve water as in the winter there were floods etc causing much damage and secondly maybe payments were made to shareholders when the money should have been used to manage water supplies better.

In South Africa where droughts are common, only once in 40 years were restrictions brought in as they are able to manage their water supplies and cater for dry months. At the moment we are talking a month or so and not many months or even years!

Imagine if we had a drought lasting six months never mind a year or 10 years. When we lived in South Africa and had restrictions imposed, we were allowed 400 litres of water a day and no more. If you exceeded this amount, they fitted a washer into the pipe which severely restrcited the flow of water and just to fill up a glass would take a couple of minutes. More effective than fining a person and then chasing for payment.

[HomerJSimpson]

I did find find the 1991 Water Industry Act, but could not find any cases of consumers being fined.

 

The act outlaws washing your car and watering your lawn and garden with a hosepipe.

 

But if you have an allotment you can water that all day with a hosepipe.

 

And you can clean your patio and/or driveway with a hosepipe.

 

It's a great law.

 

Also, if you use a garden tap to fill a bucket (allowed), and then leave the end of your hosepipe in said bucket (not connected to a tap), your thirsty power washer will suck it's required water supply from a bucket of water.

 

I didn't find any restriction on constantly filling the bucket with water, that must be allowed.

 

But you haven't connected your power washer to a tap via a hosepipe.

 

Makes you wonder.........

 

HJS

[Philip23]

I wouldn't mind but since the Hosepipe ban, it's rained everyday - not much but enough to water my garden.

[Conniff]

I wouldn't mind but since the Hosepipe ban, it's rained everyday - not much but enough to water my garden.

 

I don't think it's stopped for the last couple of years, we certainly haven't had a real summer for a few years.

[pelham9]

Wen the resevoirs are nearly empty it is clear that many of them contain a lot of silt and mud. This must restrict the capacity of the resevoir.

 

Surely it would be cheaper to dig thiis out when the resevoir is empty rather than build new resevoirs.

[Surfer01]

Surely you know by now that that solution is too easy and cheap. For it too work it needs to be expensive and have several governing bodies in charge of the several inquiries into why there is no water before anything can be done.

[001psg]

Im just confused. Sure a hosepipe ban but I havent recieved any notification of this at all. I have heard rumors but surely they should send out a letter or something? I would refuse to pay a fine for this.

[buzby]

No - it is sufficient for them to state publicly that a ban is in force, using the usual methods, the media then disseminates the information. Anyone pleasing ignorance will be warned (not like a private parking transgression) and if further misuse takes place, the powers conferred by the order can then be brought to bear.