Article 25 Power to prohibit or restrict temporarily use of water for non-essential purposes

​Jersey Water (The New Jersey Waterworks Company) requests that, pursuant to powers contained in article 25 of the Water (Jersey) Law 1972 the following uses of water supplied by Jersey Water are prohibited.

This prohibition will start at 00:01 BST on Friday 26 August 2022 and will continue for a period of four months or until such time as Jersey Water gives notice of a relaxation of the prohibitions. The prohibition applies to the whole Jersey Water supply area.  Thank you for your support at this important time.

Prohibited uses

The following uses are prohibited:

1. Watering a garden using a hosepipe;
2. Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (and trailers) using a hosepipe;
3. Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe;
4. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe;
5. Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool using a hosepipe ;
6. Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use;
7. Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe;
8. Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain using a hosepipe ;
9. Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe;
10. Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe;
11. Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe.

Customers can still undertake the above activities if they use mains water from a bucket or watering can or use water that is not sourced from the mains such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe, or private boreholes for example.

Exceptions to the prohibitions

The following uses are excepted from the prohibitions. Those who meet the requirements below can continue to use water without having to make representations to Jersey Water to receive permission.

In using water, it is requested that everyone uses water wisely and adopts water efficient practices.

1. Health and Safety: Using a hosepipe to (a) water a garden, (b) to clean a private leisure boat, (c) clean the walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) to clean paths and patios or (e) to clean artificial outdoor surfaces, for health or safety reasons, where health or safety reasons includes removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety and preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease. Please note that for areas of grass used for sports or recreation, this exception only applies to the active playing strip and not the entire ground;
2. Using a hosepipe to water plants that are (a) grown or kept for sale or commercial use, or (b) that are part of a National Plant Collection or temporary garden or flower display;
3. Using a hosepipe to clean any area of a private leisure boat which, except for doors or windows, is enclosed by a roof and walls;
4. Filling or maintaining a pool where necessary in the course of its construction;
5. Filling or maintaining a pool using a hand-held container which is filled with water drawn directly from a tap;
6. Filling or maintaining a pool that is designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of a programme of medical treatment;
7. Filling or maintaining a pool that is used for the purpose of decontaminating animals from infections or disease;
8. Filling or maintaining a pool used in the course of a programme of veterinary treatment;
9. Filling or maintaining a pool in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity;
10. Using a hosepipe to fill or maintain a domestic pond in which fish or other aquatic animals are being reared or kept in captivity;
11. Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain which is in or near a fish-pond and whose purpose is to supply sufficient oxygen to the water in the pond in order to keep the fish healthy;
12. People with severe mobility problems who hold a current Blue Badge as issued by the Jersey authority will not be prohibited from using a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden attached to a domestic dwelling, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) water allotments where the Blue Badge holder is the tenant, (e) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (f) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (g) clean paths or patios; or (h) clean other artificial surfaces;
13. Using a hosepipe to clean: (a) a private motor vehicle, (b) a private leisure boat, (c) walls and windows of domestic premises, (d) paths or patios; or (e) other outdoor artificial surfaces, where this is done as a service to customers in the course of a business;
14. Watering a garden and watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using an approved drip or trickle irrigation watering system, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist;
15. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe if the vessel is a primary residence, in cases where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption or where engines are designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe;
16. Using a hosepipe to water a garden or to water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises where such watering is restricted to newly laid turf, newly sown lawns, newly planted trees, shrubs and plants where the laying, sowing or planting has been carried out as a service to customers in the course of a business. This exemption only applies for a period of 28 days from the day of planting, sowing or turf laying;
17. Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe to prevent or control the spread of non-native and/or invasive species;
18. Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain to operate water features with religious significance.

The following definitions apply:

"Using a hosepipe" in relation to a purpose listed in the prohibitions includes drawing relevant water supplied by Jersey Water through a hosepipe from a container and applying it for the purpose; filling or partly filling a container with relevant water supplied by Jersey Water by means of a hosepipe and applying it for the purpose;

"Garden" includes a park, gardens open to the public, a domestic garden, a lawn, a grass verge, an area of grass used for sport or recreation, an allotment garden, any area of an allotment garden used for non-commercial purposes and any other green space;

"Garden" does not include agricultural land, as defined in article 1 of the Protection of Agricultural Land (Jersey) Law 1964; other land used in the course of a business for the purpose of growing, for sale or commercial use, any crops, fruit, vegetables or other plants; land used for the purpose of a National Plant Collection; a temporary garden or flower display; or plants (including plant organs, seeds, crops and trees) which are in an outdoor pot or in the ground, under cover.

"Hosepipe" includes anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe. The prohibitions apply whether or not any device is attached to the hosepipe, such as a sprinkler, dripper hose, automatic irrigation systems or similar devices for example;

"Drawing water using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use" includes operating water slides and other recreational equipment. Jersey Water considers the recreational use of hot tubs to fall within the definition of domestic recreational use, but will not consider hot tubs that are designed, constructed or adapted for use in the course of medical treatment to fall within the definition of domestic recreational use;

"Relevant water" does not include water supplied by Jersey Water before this prohibition takes effect;

"Private motor-vehicle" does not include public service vehicles, and goods vehicles.

Details about the powers to prohibit water use can be found in Water (Jersey) Law 1972.

Further information and details of the prohibitions can be found at https://www.jerseywater.je/hosepipe-ban/

Penalties

Any person who contravenes any of these prohibitions may be guilty of an offence, and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £2,000.