07/08/2026
HOSEPIPE BAN starts Saturday
South West Water have brought in a hosepipe ban for the whole of Devon and Cornwall from 00:01 on Saturday 8th August. Unlike the last one, Torbay is included this time, so it affects all of us in Paignton and the surrounding area.
What you can't do with a hosepipe: water the garden, wash the car, fill a pool or hot tub, clean the patio, driveway, walls or windows. It covers sprinklers, irrigation systems and pressure washers too.
A few useful exceptions:
Watering cans are completely unrestricted, and so is anything from a water butt or rainwater store
Trees, hedges and saplings planted this season can still be watered by hose where a can isn't practical
Turf laid in the last 28 days is fine, as are newly bought plants for their first 14 days
Drip or trickle irrigation with a pressure reducing valve is still allowed
Topping up a pond to keep fish healthy is allowed
If you've had planting or turf done with us recently, get in touch and we'll talk you through keeping it alive through this. Fines go up to £1,000, so worth knowing where you stand.
Stick a water butt on the downpipe if you haven't already. Best £30 you'll spend this summer.
AJS Gardening
