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Welcome to Drought-Order.com - Drought Order stages.

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Water Supply companies can impose a ban on the use of domestic hosepipes and sprinkler systems. They do not need permission from the government or Environment Agency to impose such a ban, and they do not need to explain their reasons or discuss water reserves in their area.

Businesses like garden centres and car washes are exempt from restrictions at this stage.

If additional measures are required to conserve water usage, the water supply companies can apply to the environment secretary for permission to impose an non-essential use drought order.

Stage One: Drought Orders

Under this, the water companies could:

»	Ban the use of hosepipes and sprinklers to water publicly or privately-owned gardens (apart from market gardens), lawns, verges, allotments, parks or sports or recreation grounds.
»	Operating mechanical car washes
»	Filling privately-owned swimming pools (other than for medical treatment) and ornamental ponds other than fishponds
»	Washing any vehicle except for reason of safety or hygiene
»	Using water to clean any premises, apart for safety or hygiene reasons
»	Running automatically-flushing toilet cisterns at times when buildings are unoccupied

Stage Two: Drought Permits:

When water is running low and there is an exceptional shortage of rain, water supply companies can apply to the Environment Agency for a drought permit which will temporarily allow them to take water from other sources. Such moves can have a damaging effect on the environment.

Stage Three: Emergency Drought Orders:

Once there is no more water to take from natural resources, water supply companies can apply to the secretary for the for Emergency Drought Orders which allow the use of water to be restricted in any way deemed necessary.

These could include water supplies to homes being shut off and standpipes being set up in streets and water being rationed by cutting off supplies to homes and businesses at certain times of day.

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