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Watering can hosepipe ban

Updated: 22 October 2026

You want to know whether a watering can is still allowed. In a temporary use ban in England and Wales, a watering can hosepipe ban question has a narrow answer: the ban targets specified hosepipe uses, and Ofwat says you can still water plants with a watering can or a bucket. Filling that can with a hosepipe is still using a hosepipe. Confirm the ban with your own water company. The [10 litre watering can comparison](/hub/garden-watering/10-litre-watering-can) is only about which plastic can to carry. Peter F. used legislation.gov.uk, Ofwat, Thames Water, and Water UK, checked on 20 October 2026. A purchase from the main comparison can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want to know whether a watering can is still allowed.

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On this page
  1. 1.What a temporary use ban actually stops
  2. 2.Filling the can is not the same as using a tap
  3. 3.England and Wales, and why exemptions do not travel
  4. 4.The fine, and the weight the ban does not change

What a temporary use ban actually stops

Section 36 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 sets out the closed list of uses a water company in England and Wales may prohibit under section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991. The uses are mostly worded as using a hosepipe. Ofwat’s public note says a temporary use ban stops hosepipe uses such as watering the garden, and that you can still water plants with a watering can or a bucket. The ordinary method is a can filled at a tap or from a water butt. Thames Water’s page, updated Monday 12 October 2026, still listed a watering can and stored rainwater as allowed, and a hosepipe, sprinkler, or pressure washer on gardens as not allowed. That notice is for Thames Water customers on that date, not a national map.

Filling the can is not the same as using a tap

The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010, article 3, includes filling a container by means of a hosepipe and then applying that water. A short hose into the rose, or into the fill hole, and then out onto the border, is using a hosepipe. The can is the container. Filling the same can from a tap, by hand, is the method Ofwat and the supplier pages describe as still allowed. A handle that crosses the fill hole clashes with a low butt tap. That is a reason to choose a different can, not a reason to run a hosepipe into the can. The check sits in the buying guide.
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England and Wales, and why exemptions do not travel

The 2010 Order applies in England and Wales. It does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland. Inside England and Wales the exemption lists still do not travel. Essex & Suffolk Water has described Blue Badge holders as covered without a separate application, for its area, in a notice dated from 3 August 2026. South East Water’s Sussex FAQs said that from 9 October 2026 many earlier exemptions were removed, except health, safety, or welfare. Those are examples of difference, not a combined right. A Blue Badge that one company honours is not automatically an exemption at the next. Check the company named on your bill.

The fine, and the weight the ban does not change

Ofwat states a fine of up to £1,000 for a breach. The practical way to stay clear is the can or the bucket from a tap or a butt, unless your company has told you that you are exempt. The ban does not change the weight. A full 10 litre can is still about 10 kg of water, and nothing in the Order requires you to carry that much if you cannot. If the lift stops you, ask the water company about the Priority Services Register. Plastic versus galvanised steel is on the plastic versus metal page. Fill from the tap or the butt, not from a hosepipe, unless your own company says you may.

Common questions

Can I use a watering can during a hosepipe ban?
In England and Wales, Ofwat says you can still water plants with a watering can or a bucket when a temporary use ban stops hosepipe uses such as watering the garden. Thames Water, on 12 October 2026, still listed a watering can as allowed for its customers. You still check your own company. The ban is not a single UK switch, and this does not describe Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Can I fill the can with a hosepipe?
No, if the ban applies to you. Article 3 of the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 includes filling a container by hosepipe and then using that water. A hose into the can, then onto the garden, is using a hosepipe. Fill the can from a tap by hand, or from a water butt, unless your company has confirmed an exemption for you.
Can I fill it from a water butt?
Yes, where your company allows stored rainwater, which is the method Thames Water listed on 12 October 2026. A butt is not a hosepipe. You still have to lift what you take out. A handle that blocks the butt tap is a reason to choose a different can, not a reason to use a hose during the ban.
Does the ban cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 is for England and Wales. It does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland. Do not read an English water company’s page as the rule in Edinburgh or Belfast. Use the supplier or the guidance that applies where you live.
What is the fine?
Ofwat says a breach can mean a fine of up to £1,000. That is the ceiling in its public explanation, not an automatic penalty for every drip. The sure route is the allowed method: a can or bucket from a tap or from stored rainwater, unless your own company has exempted you in writing or on its current notice.
Am I exempt if I have a Blue Badge?
Not automatically. Essex & Suffolk Water has treated a Blue Badge as an exemption in its area, and other companies word their lists differently. South East Water in Sussex narrowed exemptions from 9 October 2026. A Blue Badge at one company is not a Blue Badge rule at the next. Read the notice from the company on your bill.
Does a ban mean I must carry 10 litres?
No. The ban changes how you may take water from the mains with a hosepipe. It does not set a minimum can size. A full 10 litre can is about 10 kg, and you should carry only what you can hold. If you cannot lift it, ask your water company about the Priority Services Register rather than forcing the carry or turning the hose back on.

Related pages

How to use a watering can

10 litre watering can

Best 10 litre watering can for your tap and plants

10 litre watering can buying guide: weight and rose

Plastic vs metal 10 litre watering can: which to buy

Sources

Public UK sources for watering method, hosepipe bans and handling. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test of roses or carry weight.

  1. RHS — garden watering methods (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. RHS — watering plants wisely (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. Ofwat — hosepipe bans (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. Water UK — hosepipe ban FAQs (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. Thames Water — temporary hosepipe ban (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. HSE — good handling technique (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. Which? — best watering cans (retrieved 20.10.2026)