Would you report somebody for using a hosepipe during a ban?

[BurntBroccoli]

Lots of people on FB saying they will continue using as much water as they please as they have “paid for it”.

Reservoir levels are at 55% capacity when normally it’s 89% and with much more hot weather to come, I’m worried that they will implement standpipes due to people being irresponsible.

My elderly parents took a hose from dad’s used bath water, through the window, to water their garden during a ban recently, it was a right faff involving people upstairs and in the garden - a neighbour reported them! They are too worried to do it now 😔

No.
The water companies are the bad guys here. They aren’t being held to account.

I will also top up my pool. It's generally filled 1x year around May ,it's filtered and chemically treated. If I can't use a hosepipe then I'll happy bucket it in the tap is 2 ft away from it .Makes no difference. Same as watering my plants. It makes no odds whether I fill the can to water them or use the hose it's the same amount of water.

No. I don’t spy on or invest in what my neighbours are doing.

Tell my bloody housing association not me

No. Unless they were a nightmare neighbour in other ways then yes.

Only one neighbour that I cannot stand the sight of! He is forever washing his car and uses unbelievable amounts of water,practically creates a river,I would report him in the blink of an eye.

I remember 1976 and having to get water from standpipes it was awful.

OMG What absolute fuckers

No I wouldn’t unless they had a sprinkler out every day.

I wouldn't where I live.
Leaking water mains, not fixed, constantly haemorraging water.
(Rotherham, S Yorks - on BBC news website).
So no, I absolutely would not.

Great idea! I’m on a meter too and you definitely think about how much water you are using.

This would NOT work or be fair if you live in social housing My HA had a leak reported from the flat below mine back in MAY They arent coming until next week. Another tenant i follow on Twitter who rents from the same HA has been waiting since 9th MARCH for a leak to be fixed

Yes I realise that but the fact is that current stocks are low and we are in a drought!
Using more water is going to make that a lot worse for everyone a month or two down the line…

My car gets a wash once a year if it needs it or not. I'm quite tight with water.
Just thought about it and it is years since I had a bath and I am the master of the fast shower.

but you can use a hose for an ornamental pond if there is fish in it and you can use a hose to clean a patio or other area if its cleaning up after domestic animals. In Yorkshire allotment owners can use a hose to water edible plants.

No.

Because:

Thames Water paid £2.5m to senior managers from an emergency loan that was meant to be used to keep the failing utilities company afloat – and has refused to claw back the payments. The struggling water supplier paid bonuses totalling £2.46m to 21 managers on 30 April.

The managers are due to receive the same amount again in December, and a further £10.8m collectively next June, so that's an average of £400,000 each per annum, four people with salaries of up to £400,000 are due to receive up to £1.13m each, from a tax payer loan.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/09/thames-water-paid-out-millions-in-bonuses-using-3bn-emergency-loan-documents-reveal

Yes I would

Yes same here. Bloke up the street washes his car at least 3 times a week and his motor home at least once a week. Others use sprinklers on the grass verges near the road which is just so wasteful.

We all need to be on meters.

Water needs to be nationalised after the companies are forced to fix the leaks.

Not got a hosepipe ban yet. I’m a blue badge holder. I will only be watering my fruit and veg if it comes into force. I’m slowly replacing the lawn with creeping thyme.

I can only manage to carry about 2.5 litres of water now so have a small watering can, combine that with having a multi-level garden and being nearly 70 and not in great health, I find it quite taxing to water all my container plants. Normally there's enough rain on and off so I don't need to water too often but at the moment it's morning and night, and a hosepipe makes things a lot easier. But I am using the small can for the plants near the house. Fortunately I'm not in an area with restrictions but it would prove difficult.

Yes but that’s a separate issue (and a valid one!)
We will run out of water if we don’t reduce our usage.
We can’t pluck rain from anywhere!

I agree, that’s the only fair way.

Some people have two showers a day, wash towels every day, run the dishwasher. If my 91 year old mother who does none of these things watered her small garden which is her pride and joy for 5-10 minutes with a hose ( she can’t lift a watering can) then I definitely wouldn’t judge her

Yes edible plants are exempt.