How to water your garden efficiently in a Hosepipe ban

2025 has had the driest start to the year across England since 1976 and we are in the third heat wave of the year. The spring has been the sixth driest since records began in 1836 and this year's spring has been the warmest and sunniest on record in the UK.

Yorkshire water declared a hosepipe ban on 11th July and a ban for SouthEast water customers will be in enforcement from 18th July. This means you are unable to use your hosepipe for many activities including watering your garden or plants within your garden. A Hosepipe ban is intended to make the best use of valuable water supplies that are in short supply. LeakyPipe has a similar ethos as it uses less water than a hosepipe for watering the garden, and it delivers water direct to the soil and root area. It works even more efficiently used sub-surface under a layer of mulch or soil.

What is allowed in a hosepipe ban?

Whilst garden sprinklers and irrigation systems that are connected to the mains water supply are considered to be 'hosepipes' and are therefore banned, exceptions have been made which allow you to continue watering your garden in a water-efficient manner. The legal jargon is that exceptions are made for "drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist" Phew, legal sentences are always so long so lets break it down:

"drip or trickle irrigation system", LeakyPipe is a drip trickle system
"fitted with pressure reducing valve and timer" these are available here and simply screw onto the bottom of your outdoor tap.
"not handheld" - LeakyPipe is laid on/under the surface
"place water drip by drip directly to the soil or beneath the soil surface" LeakyPipe does this and works most efficiently when under a layer of mulch or soil as this helps to wick the water gently into the surrounding soil.
"without surface run off ..... jets or mist" LeakyPipe puts water directly onto the soil and root area where its needed, without jets splashing onto flowers, paths, fences etc.

Ready Made Kits

To help you comply with the water companies and the law, we have put together a starter kit of LeakyPipe, timer and adjustable pressure regulator which is available here

If you already have a drip / trickle irrigation system, you can purchase a pre-assembled timer and adjustable pressure regulator here - simply screw onto the bottom of your tap, set the timer and go.

You may also find the following downloadable PDF helpful for further information in designing a LeakyPipe watering system for your garden. Click here .

We can all do our bit to use water more wisely. Here at LeakyPipe Systems Ltd, we have been championing water efficient watering for 30+ years. We manufacture here in the UK for reduced carbon miles and to ensure top quality.