Hosepipe bans are synonymous with hot summers in the UK. This summer, more than 8.5 million households in England have been affected by hosepipe bans in areas served by South East Water, Southern Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water.
In Scotland, there have been no hosepipe bans despite a dry winter followed by record-breaking temperatures and low river levels in spring/summer. At the time of writing, reservoir levels in the east of Scotland were at 51%. The average for this time of year is 81%. As of 4 September, eleven river catchments in Aberdeenshire, North Fife and the Scottish Borders were experiencing significant scarcity – the highest category of water scarcity in Scotland.Â
Scottish Water informed SPICe that there is no immediate threat to normal supplies at present, and that it would only consider introducing hosepipe bans as a last resort. However, it is currently facing challenges in maintaining normal services, particularly in the east of Scotland.
In a news release published on 22 August, Scottish Water urged its customers to use water as efficiently as possible in homes and gardens to help protect water resources.
Actions have been taken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to restrict water use in agriculture and industry. SEPA has introduced temporary restrictions on the removal of water from the natural environment (known as ‘abstractions’) in these catchments. These have been imposed on businesses through restrictions on abstraction licenses issued by SEPA.
But why hasn’t there been restrictions on household water use?
How can a hosepipe ban be introduced in Scotland?
Under section 7 of the Water Resources (Scotland) Act 2013 Scottish Water can propose to Scottish Ministers that they make a water shortage order. A water shortage order may permit Scottish Water to carry out various actions including imposing water saving measures on organisations or individuals if deemed necessary, including hosepipe bans. Scottish Water is responsible for enforcing hosepipe bans. These provisions have never been used to impose hosepipe bans in Scotland.
The last hosepipe ban in Scotland was in 1995. This was before the Scottish Parliament was reconvened and before Scottish Water was set up, so the legal and operational framework for water resource management was not the same as it is today.
How long does it take to impose a hosepipe ban?
The process of introducing a hosepipe ban using a water shortage order is lengthy.
The legislation requires that Scottish Water can only propose a water shortage order if it believes that there is a serious deficiency, or threat of a serious deficiency of water supplies in an area.
To begin the process, Scottish Water must publish a public notice of a proposal, after which, there is a period of 14 days when representations can be made about the proposal. Scottish Ministers are then required to consider any representations and advice received from SEPA before making their decision to make an order. If Scottish Ministers decide to go ahead, the order comes into effect three days after notice of the order has been published.
These powers have never been used, so it’s not clear how long the process would take in practice.
Scottish Government officials have informed SPICe that the whole process could take more than a month when considering the time required to review any public representations, advice from SEPA, and the preparation of advice to Ministers.
By the time a hosepipe ban is introduced, it may not be effective in reducing demand on the network at the right time or water resources may have returned to normal conditions following a period of rainfall.
Is the process the same in England?
No. Hosepipe bans in England are implemented under separate legislation. Water companies have the power to impose hosepipe bans and can do so much more quickly than in Scotland.
Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, which applies to England and Wales, provides powers to water companies to ban the use of hosepipes (known as ‘Temporary Use Bans’ or TUBs) for a variety of uses if it thinks that it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water. TUBs can also provide exceptions for specific uses or persons (e.g. people with a disability).
A hosepipe ban can take immediate effect as soon as the water company has given notice in at least two newspapers circulating in the area and on its website. There is a requirement for the notice to provide details on how to make a representation.
Water companies are required to set out how they will implement hosepipe bans in drought plans which are published every five years and subject to public consultation. Hosepipe bans are enforceable by the water companies and can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
If dry conditions continue, water companies can impose more serious interventions using a non-essential use ban (NEUB). NEUBs specifically target businesses and bans activities such as watering outdoor plants, filling or maintaining non-domestic swimming pools and cleaning windows and vehicles.
Are hosepipe bans necessary in Scotland? Isn’t it wetter compared to England?
Scotland is generally wetter than England overall. But we’re not immune to drought and water scarcity, particularly in the east of Scotland which is sheltered from the rain-bearing westerly winds.
According to the Met Office parts eastern Scotland such as East Lothian, Fife and the Moray Firth receive less than 700 mm of rainfall in an average year. These values can be compared with annual totals around 500 mm in the driest parts of eastern England and contrasts the western Scottish Highlands which averages over 4,000mm. These regional differences are clearly shown in the Met Office map of average rainfall below.
This west/east divide in rainfall in Scotland presents challenges as population growth is expected to be fastest in eastern Scotland.
Are hosepipe bans effective?
In England, research suggests that hosepipe bans and TUBs can reduce the amount of water that companies put into their distribution network by 3 to 5 per cent. Hose pipe bans alone may not be enough to prevent water scarcity issues but could help supplies last longer alongside other measures.
For hosepipe bans to be effective, they need to be imposed quickly to respond to changing environmental conditions. These changing conditions can occur quickly in Scotland. For example, in June 2023, water scarcity issues escalated rapidly, in parts of the northwest. This led to emergency measures, including water pipes being helicoptered to ensure supply to the village of Broadford on the Isle of Skye.
This summer, Scottish Water has been using tankers to supplement normal water supplies in some parts of the country to supplement supplies.
What other measures might help conserve water?
Reducing water consumption
Reducing water consumption in general is key. Water consumption in Scotland is higher than in England. It’s estimated that we use around 180 litres of water per day, compared to 139 litres per day in England. This is partly due to the perception that water is plentiful in Scotland, but it’s also influenced by how we pay for our water use.
Households in Scotland pay for water at a fixed price based on their Council Tax Band. The price does not change based on how much water is used. In England and Wales, water meters are more common. The amount of water consumed has a direct impact on their total water bill. It’s estimated that households in the UK with smart water meters consume around 18% less water than those without them.
Reducing leakage
Scottish Water also has a role to play in reducing leakages from its network. This network is vast, with 30,000 miles of underground pipes and 2.6 million connections.
In 2024/25, leakage was 454 million litres per day. Scottish Water has reduced leakage by 58% over the past 15 years but says that it needs to go further in reducing leakage. It estimates that 30% of the total leakage volume relates to pipework (e.g. internal plumbing) which is the responsibility of owners of properties.
Long-term planning and investment
The Scottish Government and Scottish Water are responsible for long-term planning and investment to secure water supplies into the future, working alongside SEPA and other stakeholders. The Scottish Government is currently reviewing water legislation following a public consultation to consider developing policy for the future of the water industry in response to the impacts of climate change.
Scottish Water has published a long-term strategy and a climate change adaptation plan which sets out its plans tackle the impact of climate change and ensure sustainable, resilient and affordable services.
Thirty years has elapsed since the last hosepipe ban in Scotland. However, unless significant efforts are made to improve water efficiency and to make water supply systems more resilient, Scottish Water has projected that by 2050 Scotland will have a deficit of 240 million litres each day.
This means that Scotland has a growing risk of needing to impose restrictions. A rethink of the conventional wisdom that Scotland is endlessly water-rich is needed. Proactive planning and investment in water resilience will be essential to safeguard communities and the water environment in the years ahead.
Damon Davies, Researcher, SPICe