Temporary Use Ban Drip Irrigation Timer Uk

During a Temporary Use Ban (often called a hosepipe ban), handheld hosepipe watering is typically restricted. Some water companies list approved drip or trickle irrigation that uses a pressure-reducing valve and a timer as an exception — but rules are company-specific and change with drought notices. Always verify the legal notice for your own supplier; nothing here makes outdoor watering automatically lawful.

The legal framework (not a personal exemption)

The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 sets the statutory categories water companies use for Temporary Use Bans. What is restricted, and what is excepted, appears in each company’s current notice — not in a single nationwide rule.

Examples of drip wording (verify yours)

As illustrative wording only: the Thames Water Temporary Use Ban legal notice has listed an exception for approved drip/trickle irrigation with a pressure-reducing valve and timer that drips to soil without runoff or airborne jet or mist. Southern Water hosepipe ban exemptions similarly describe drip/trickle systems needing a pressure-reducing valve and timer, not handheld, applying water directly to soil without runoff or misting. Status and dates change — treat these as examples of the kind of language to look for, not timeless permission.

Decision path while a ban may apply

• Watering can and stored rainwater where allowed.
• Approved drip or trickle with PRV and timer if your company’s current notice permits it.
• Stop outdoor watering that the notice prohibits.
• Sprinklers, jets and misting are not the drip exception.

Practical verification checklist

1. Identify your water company.
2. Open the current Temporary Use Ban / hosepipe ban page and legal notice.
3. Confirm whether drip/trickle is listed and what hardware it requires (often PRV + timer, soil-level delivery, no mist).
4. If claiming an exception, fit the required parts and keep a short note of your setup.
5. Do not run sprinklers or handheld spray under a drip exception.

A timer alone does not create a legal exception. For holiday planning when no ban is in force, use the holiday garden watering timer checklist. For soil-level pot drip layout (outside ban questions), see patio pots on a drip timer.