Hosepipe ban for Yorkshire greens

Bowling News

Yorkshire Water has announced a temporary ban on the using of hosepipes with effect from Friday 11 July. Depleted reserves and the promise of a hot summer has brought this reaction from the Yorkshire Water Authority.

The Yorkshire Water Authority has said that activities that are not permitted while the temporary restrictions are in place include:

· Using a hosepipe to water a garden

· Using a hosepipe to clean private vehicles or boats

· Watering plants with a hosepipe on a domestic or other non-commercial premises

· Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming, paddling pool, hot tub or cold-water plunge pool with a hosepipe

· Using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use

· Filling or maintaining a domestic pond or ornamental fountain using a hosepipe

· Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe

Businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose. There are restrictions on using a hosepipe if not for those essential commercial needs – so using a hosepipe to clean a path outside a business property, for example, would not be allowed.

How this relates to sports clubs iisn't specifically noted but the inference is that watering of bowling greens from hosepipes will not be permitted. An increasing number of clubs have installed irrigation systems. Some of these even collect and store water from underground springs which would be exempt from any ban. Those that store water and top it up from the domestic supply would not be exempt. That is my interpretation of the position but I am no expert and happy to be corrected on it.

LATER: Mark Sykes has commented on this posting below. He indicates that sports grounds are exempt from the hosepipe ban. I have been unable to find this information on the Yorkshire Water website but did find the following there ....

Irrigation systems may be used if it is a fixed drip or trickle irrigation watering system, connected to a metered water supply. The system must be fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer and the system must place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface without any surface run off. It must not disperse water through the air using a jet or mist.

If the system is not like this then it cannot be used when connected to mains water. However, irrigation systems may be used when connected to a grey water or rainwater recycling system ( i.e. not attached to the mains system).