We’ve been receiving a LOT of questions regarding the filling of domestic swimming and paddling pools (or the topping up of). It also appears that certain water companies have shifted their stance on this. Therefore we’ll now try to explain the situation as it stands today 28/05/2012 and we’ll update in the future.
No water company that currently has a ban in place allows you to use a hosepipe to fill, top up or maintain a swimming or paddling pool.
The following water companies allow you to fill, top up or maintain a swimming or paddling pool using a hand held container directly from a tap (not filled by a hosepipe):
- Anglian Water
- Southern Water
- South East Water
- Sutton and East Surrey Water
- Thames Water
- Veolia Water Southeast
- Veolia Water Central
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I was walking the dog on Epsom Downs, just after the housepipeban ban was introduced, and there were sprinklers, going like there was no tomorrow, watering the racecourse. How can that be classed as ‘essential use’? Someone’s take the michael.
i agree dave! do wonder what we are paying for sometimes! yesterday it said that you couldnt even fill pools with buckets if your supplier was south east or southern water, also i bet i end up using more water filling with buckets than if i used a hose, seems totally rediculous!
if ur tap is higher than the side of the pool then jus prop up a pice of guttering n make a chanell and FATHER TIME back in the days you could go down the river but to maney people litter things in there now and the rivers dont get draged anymore so it is to dangeros so if that got done then there would be a good argument for the water bord to have with respect of our kids cooling down or should i just put them in a cool shower witch in the end would use more water (yestorday we had about 15 kids playing in our pool witch get them off the street n out of trouble plus it stop others needing to fill there pools up
Rob mentioned above about using guttering to fill a pool but this wasn’t addressed afterwards. Is this banned also? I have enough spare guttering to make a Roman style aquaduct!
why can we not use a hose to fill a pool but can use hand containers surely we are using the same amount of water ? seems silly
Only a few people will have the persistance to fill a swimming pool with a bucket…. so the saving is big…The real trouble is with profit oriented companies involved there no way of knowing if the cause of the shortage is lack of rain or lack of investment . Or even too much planning permision for urban sprawl covering the south of england
did you know that anglian water cant give a good exaple between a hose pipe and a bucket for filling up a swimming pool and there thinking of having a water band so quickly fill your pools
pluss if they dont have good everdince that your using a hose the cant fine you as it wont stand up in the court of law
How can you report people ignoring the hose pipe ban and still filling pools up?
Contact your local water company.
This is crazy, if you are filling a paddling pool, you will using the same amount of water however you fill it whether its by hose or by hand!!
all they can say is u have more controll with a bucket but they dont think of the splash n spillige do they
Just because they haven’t banned using a bucket to fill up a non essential luxury like a pool doesn’t mean you should do it. I think people need to remember that if they continue waisting water then the chances are we will all end up having to collect our water from standpipes in the street when the water is turned off!
I will say nothing as they are using this as a research to see what we do and feel, and will probably re write the law against us by saying we cant fill a pool at all with water, don’t give them the brains ppl stay private
there is no such thing u cant ban a hose but not water.why dont they ban buckets then
I understand the need to conserve water, but surely if we are using less the water companies will be worse off financially unless they really hike the price up. Surely putting all houses on a water meter would help as people without a meter do use much more.
Any financial losses incurred by the hosepipe ban will be nothing compared to the cost to these companies of running out of drinking water. The water restrictions are in place because, in some areas, there is a real risk to future supplies if consumption is not reduced (or more water made available of course, but that won’t happen overnight.) The water companies are not making this stuff up, honest.
As for water meters, I agree entirely. People on meters do not waste water – leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth is the obvious example – around 6 litres per minute, 2.5 minutes per scrub, twice per day = 30 litres per day per person.
If all properties were metered we’d have a much more accurate picture of how much water is really lost through leakage. In my experience most people are better off on a meter – the only ones who may be worse off are some of the poor people (and they don’t really count).
I am blue badge holder/registered disabled
I use my jacuzzi especially in this heat when all my joints are very swollen.
This assists with pain and my ability to walk.
I need to clean the top and replenish the water.
Am I able to use my hosepipe for this purpose please.
Please advise
Thank you
Yes you can do that.
I just want to clarify something here…. From reading this very helpful information my understanding is that I can fill a paddling pool for my child with a handheld container… I just want to be sure on this before any neighbourhood busybodies start wasting everyone’s time by reporting me for something it appears I am now allowed to do.
Just to say, fantastic site… watching it daily..
Yes you’re correct – paddling pools can be filled with a hand held container that’s been filled directly from the tap.
Glad you like the site
I am on a water meter and don’t see why I can’t fill up my paddling pool considering that I pay for every penny of water I use.
A millionaire banker-neighbour of mine is having his patio cleaned by a company using a power hose. I don’t see why this is allowed (I read it under the ‘exemptions’) while I, who conserves water fastidiously can’t water my tiny garden. Water meters should be compulsory so that we can use our water as we please with a cap per household. How do you police those with indoor pools? How do you know that they don’t top them up? Water meters for every household!
i’m querry if I can fill my paddling pool that i bought from ARGOS yesterday.I started filling it when my neighbour stopped me and he told me if I continue they will report me to the Water Authority.I told him that i will used my buckets but he told me that i should not carry on.I read the latest updated from the horsepipe.org that South East Water allow his clients to used the buckets.Please could you confirm it back to me because I need to speak to my neighbour and the two Crimewatch lady in my area about this issue.Looking forward to received the answer because my four kids really want to enjoy their time in this pool every afternoon after school.Many Thanks.
Please read the article at the top of this page.
Theirbis the same amount of water on the earth as there was when it was created…
Don’t know if Hose will mind me stating this on here but if he wants to remove the comment I don’t mind at all…. Whilst waiting for Hose to get back to me I thought I would give the Water Company a quick ring to confirm about the paddling pools. A very helpful chap called Gary listened by my query and confirmed that YES I could fill my paddling pool with buckets which I have now done. I also chlorinate it so that there is no emptying and the pool stays clean.
Gary took my name, address and phone number. I asked him if the call was going to be logged and he said that it would be, which quite frankly I am pleased about because then there is a record that you have checked that you are acting within the law.
I think the only problem with the ban is that some people will be reported maliciously without anything unlawful going on at all. My advice would be that if you are worried about doing anything I would check with them first. The call will be logged and then if the neighbourhood busybody rings them to cause trouble then all is well.
Thank you.
Many thanks for sharing that as I’m sure it will help others.
I agree that speaking to the water company directly is always a good idea. Personally I’d also try to gather photographic evidence to support my case if I suspected I might be reported for doing something I was in fact allowed to do.
We live in the Thames water area, and as a blue badge holder we are apparently exempt. We have a large 8 foot pool which is usually up all summer long as we use chlorine and chemicals to maintain it. Unfortunately we can not fill up using buckets (virtually impossible with disability!) so how do we fill? several of the children in the area would use the pool therefore saving water on a number of paddling pools being used instead. After chatting to an elderly resident she told me if you are disabled the fire brigade would come and fill for you, is this true or is she just pulling my leg? any info with regards to filling without bucket or hose would be a big help, thanks :O)
I wouldn’t have thought the fire brigade would do anything like that these days. The best I can come up with is for you to contact Thames Water and ask if they are willing to help you under the circumstances.
If, as you say, all the children in the neighbourhood will use it, why not ask them to come help fill it? I filled mine (12 ft) by bucket with the help of some neighbours and their outside taps.
The irony of it is, it’s rained so much the last week or so that it is now actually overflowing… I left 3 inches out the top to allow doe displacement. I should have just let the weather fill it up for me!
Let’s be honest. The water companies wast millions of litres of water per day through leakages etc.
This is because paying fatcat managers and shareholders is far more important to them than spending money on the water infrastructure.
The amount used by domestic hosepipes is insignificant in comparison to the amount they waste.
Surely by now the reservoirs are full? Can we please remove the stupid hose pipe ban, if the water companies are worried about the aquifers still being low, surely the water being used to fill up pools and water plants goes back into them eventually!
The reason they let buckets and not a hose is that it’s a limiter of how big a pool (and how deep) you will fill it. Clearly unless you have an old fashioned human chain buckets will only be good for a little pool – kind of equivalent to a bath anyway….
Its good news and common sense, you’re only a toddler once! Besides its not looking like too many people will need a paddling pool this summer anyway!!
Ok so you can use a hosepipe that is being fed from a water container (bucket) and you’re allowed to fill a bucket from a tap so here is a easy solution:
Get a standard 5L bucket from b&Q along with a DIY water butt tap and fix it to the side of the bucket properly for future use and prevent leaking and now you can attach a hosepipe with no trouble.
The next stage is to hang the bucket from the tap (gravity will pull the water through the hose) fill the bucket with the tap – which is allowed and when nearly full open the tap on the bucket you made to allow water to flow – that’s how to legally use a hosepipe from mains as you’re not using the pipe directly on mains and your still filling a bucket to use the water which apparently is all allowed.
Tell me if I am wrong please? From what I can see this is fine as you are doing what the water company want. plus there will be no hosepipe attachment on the tap.
IT’S A ‘HOSEPIPE BAN’. Use anything else to fill or water what you want. Any form of pipe or guttering will do as long as it’s not a hosepipe. Simples.