On 23 March 2007, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a consultation on proposals to modernise the legislation on hosepipe bans.
The current legislation is 62 years old. The 2004 - 06 drought showed that prescribing the measures that water companies must adopt to manage down demand during times of water shortages, had become thoroughly outdated.
Richard Aylard, Thame Water's director of external affairs, said:
"We welcome this review. The hosepipe ban imposed last year, the first in the Thames Water supply area for 15 years, was clearly not universally popular, but customers' response to our calls to save water was tremendous, with demand falling by up to ten per cent.
"However, many customers were understandably irritated by the anomalies that emerged. For example, it is a nonsense that modern, water-efficient "drip" irrigation systems should be covered by the hosepipe ban legislation.
"Equally bizarre is the loophole that allows hoses to be used for the washing of patios, garden furniture and gnomes, and even for filling swimming pools, but not for plant irrigation of any kind.
"No water company wants to have to restrict supplies to customers, but if the need arises we have to have a system that encourages best practice, whilst prohibiting flagrant abuses, such as hosepipes and sprinklers being left running night and day.
"The review should make sure that the sequence of restrictions that can be imposed during droughts is workable, pragmatic and easily understood.
"The biggest priority must be to retain the goodwill of customers. It is fundamental to the overriding aim in a drought of conserving supplies for essential activities, such as washing, drinking and food preparation, whilst also ensuring that the interests of the environment are not compromised unnecessarily."
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