Are you free to use your hosepipe once more? (Picture: Shutterstock / Melanie Hobson)
Thames Water has announced the end of its hosepipe ban, from November 22 onwards.
Now that parts of the UK are feeling frostier, you may not have been using your hosepipe all that much anyway – but if you get your water from Thames Water, you’re free to use yours once again.
Earlier this year, swathes of the country were placed under a hosepipe ban.
The bans came after a blistering August heatwave and the relatively rainless July before it, which was dubbed the driest in over 110 years. A drought was declared for more than half of England.
You may now be wondering if your local area is still under a ban, or if the ban has been cancelled.
Here’s how to find out.
How can I check if there is a hosepipe ban in my area?
This summer, brown grass became a common sight as rainfall seemed a distant memory (Picture: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
Firstly, it’s worth noting that most hosepipe bans have now been cancelled.
Only three companies – South East Water, South West Water and Yorkshire Water – still have theirs going.
Companies that have dropped the temporary use bans on hosepipes include not just Thames Water (for London, Oxford, Reading and nearby areas) – but Southern Water (for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight), Manx Utilities (for the Isle of Man) and Welsh Water (for Pembrokeshire).
The best way to find out if your area has any ban is to use your water provider’s postcode checker.
Postcode checkers for UK water companies that have (or had) hosepipe bans
Check your postcode for places that still have bans here:
South East Water
South West Water
Yorkshire Water.
You may need to scroll down the page to find the postcode checker.
Water companies that have ended their bans are here – you can view notices to that effect below:
More: UK weather
If you don’t know who your water provider is, then you can use Water UK’s handy postcode checking tool.
Then, simply visit your relevant site to check whether your location is impacted. Easy!
If you were in an impacted area, or you’re simply not sure what the score is where you live, it’s definitely worth checking – as flouting the rules of a hosepipe ban can see you land up to a £1,000 fine.
And if you don’t know who provides your water, it’s worth knowing ban or no ban – so you know who’s billing you, and so you can be aware of any future water issues in your area.
MORE : What you can and can’t do under a hosepipe ban
MORE : UK braced for wintery weather with warnings in place, flooding and first snowfall
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