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Tree watering bag hosepipe ban and the local notice

Updated: October 2026

A temporary use ban is in force, the tree is still young, and a slow-release bag looks like a way through the rules. On a tree watering bag hosepipe ban, the bag is a container and the notice says whether a hosepipe may fill it. Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991 covers England and Wales. The Act does not mention watering bags. Peter F. checked the Act, Ofwat, The Tree Council, and South East Water’s Sussex FAQs on 16 October 2026. This is not advice for your postcode. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The listings are on the [tree watering bag comparison](/hub/garden-watering/tree-watering-bag).

A temporary use ban is in force, the tree is still young, and a slow-release bag looks like a way through the rules.

Our top picks

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On this page
  1. 1.What the ban actually restricts
  2. 2.Young trees are not automatically exempt
  3. 3.Sussex from 9 October 2026
  4. 4.Where a bag still fits

What the ban actually restricts

Section 76 lets a water company prohibit specified uses in a notice, including watering a garden or plants with a hosepipe. The notice states the date and the area. A banned hosepipe use is a summary offence, and the Act caps the fine at level 3 on the standard scale. Ofwat’s page of 12 August 2022 describes a can or a bucket as the ordinary alternative and states a fine of up to £1,000. Section 76A can treat something used like a hosepipe as a hosepipe. A passive bag is still not named. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own notices.

Young trees are not automatically exempt

The Tree Council says many companies still exempt standards, saplings, whips, and hedging planted within three years, where a can is unreasonable, and that companies can remove the exemption. “Many” is not your supplier today. If your notice still prints the exemption, a hosepipe may be allowed on the terms written there. If the notice has dropped it, the charity page does not restore it. A bag does not create the exemption by dripping slowly. Read the FAQ your supplier has published for this ban, including the start date and the area.
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Sussex from 9 October 2026

South East Water’s Sussex FAQs say that from 9 October 2026 the previous exemptions are gone except health, safety, and welfare. Trees and hedging are no longer a hosepipe exemption there. What the FAQ allows is a can, a bucket, or a drip or trickle system with a pressure valve and a timer. A passive sleeve has neither, so its drip is not that exemption. The same week, a South East Water Kent FAQ still described a young-tree exemption. The BBC reported on 9 October 2026 that Sussex had changed, while Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire still had exemptions. Your current notice wins.

Where a bag still fits

A water butt is not a hosepipe. Where the notice allows a can or a bucket, carry that water to the bag and pour it in. Do not relabel the bag as the Sussex timed drip because it empties over about nine hours. The weekly amount still has to be carried if the hose is banned. If you are unsure whether a fitting counts as a hosepipe, ask the water company and keep the reply. Once you may apply water, the newly planted page covers how much the tree needs.

Common questions

Does a tree watering bag exempt me from a hosepipe ban?
A bag is a container. Section 76 restricts specified uses, including watering plants with a hosepipe, and the notice sets the date and the area. The Act does not mention bags. Companies can remove a young-tree exemption. South East Water’s Sussex FAQs removed the tree and hedging hosepipe exemption from 9 October 2026. Read the notice for your address.
Can I fill the bag from the hose?
Only if your notice still allows that use. Filling from a hosepipe can be the watering the Act lists. In Sussex, from 9 October 2026, trees and hedging are not a hosepipe exemption. A slow drip does not change the hose. Section 76A can treat hose-like equipment as a hosepipe. If the notice bans the hose, use a method it still names.
Can I fill it from a water butt or a can?
A water butt is not a hosepipe. Ofwat’s 12 August 2022 note points to a can or a bucket. Where the notice allows those, pour that water into the bag. Sussex still describes a can, a bucket, or a drip system with a pressure valve and a timer. Fill the bag at the tree.
Are new trees still exempt in my area?
Read the notice for your address and its date. The Tree Council describes an exemption some companies still give for young trees and hedging planted within three years, and says they can withdraw it. On 9 October 2026 the BBC reported that Sussex had cut exemptions that Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire still had. Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own notices.
What changed in Sussex on 9 October 2026?
South East Water’s Sussex FAQs ended the previous exemptions except health, safety, and welfare. Trees and hedging are not a hosepipe exemption there. A can, a bucket, or a drip or trickle system with a pressure valve and a timer is what that FAQ still allows. A passive bag is not that system. Follow that FAQ until the company publishes a change.
What is the offence?
A banned hosepipe use is a summary offence under section 76. The Act caps the fine at level 3 on the standard scale. Ofwat’s page of 12 August 2022 states up to £1,000. Cite level 3 from the Act, and cite £1,000 only as that 2022 explanation. The offence is the banned use, not the fact that you own a bag.
Is a drip system with a timer the same as a bag?
The Sussex FAQ allows a drip or trickle system with a pressure valve and a timer. A tree watering bag has neither. An emptying time of about nine hours is not that timer. Where a can or a bucket is allowed, use that to fill the bag.

Related pages

How to use a tree watering bag

Best tree watering bags

Tree watering bag

Tree watering bag buying guide for litres and girth

Watering bag for newly planted trees in a dry week

Sources

Sources checked for this comparison; last retrieved on 15 October 2026.

  1. RHS, garden watering methods (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. RHS, watering (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. RHS, establishment of trees and shrubs (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Woodland Trust, water your street trees (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. London Tree Officers Association, young tree watering poster (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Water Industry Act 1991, section 76 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. The Tree Council, watering newly planted trees during a hosepipe ban (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. South East Water, Sussex hosepipe restrictions (retrieved 15 October 2026)