How not to fall foul of the hosepipe ban 25 April 2012 Kelly Hussey Right http://www.cetamail.co.uk/files/hosepipecaravan_sml.jpg It's a puzzler. As we are deluged by seemingly unending rain, how can much of the UK also be under official drought conditions? For many of us, our gardens have never looked so green. The fact remains that despite the rain, it's predicted that the drought will last until the end of 2012. With it comes the inevitable ban on hosepipes, which raises quite a quandary for the caravanners who rely on them. So where do you stand – do you have to put away your hosepipe entirely or is there some leniency to the ban? Drought? What drought? You may have noticed that it has rained – and rained a lot – recently. Ironically, flood warnings have been issued across some of the areas where there are drought alerts. In fact, some of the UK could see as much as a month's worth of rain fall over just a few days. So how is it we are still being besieged by posters and pamphlets advising us of an official drought? Despite the fact that in Blighty we love nothing more than to have a good old moan about the weather, the fact is we've now experienced two 'unusually dry' winters in a row, which has left many reservoir levels dangerously low. The Environment Agency has explained that these groundwater supplies will only be filled if we have large and consistent amounts of steady rain for as much as two more months. Now that would spoil a fair few caravan holidays! Trevor Bishop, the Environment Agency's head of water resources explained: "while we've had some welcome rain recently, the problem has not gone away, and we would urge everyone – right across the country – to use water wisely now, which will help to prevent more serious impacts next year." [ http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/138916.aspx ] Where in the UK is the hosepipe ban in force? When the hosepipe ban was first issued in early April, the water companies involved were: Anglian Water, South East Water, Southern Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water, Thames Water, Veolia Water Central and Veolia Water South East, covering much of the South East of the country. However, since then more water companies have got on board. The Environment Agency has said that more than half of England is now under drought conditions and an additional 17 counties have been affected by the ban, covering the South West and Midlands, including many popular caravan sites. What does this mean for caravan fans? It's unlikely that many people have fully read the terms and conditions of the hosepipe ban, so knowing exactly where you stand can be a legal headache. Luckily, the Camping and Caravanning Club has done the hard work for you with an investigation into the legislation of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. They concluded that the use of a hosepipe is STILL ALLOWED to fill motor caravan fresh water tanks or mobile water containers for consumption. 'Consumption' includes water usage for the preparation of food, washing, cooking or hygiene. This is good news for caravanners who can't have been relishing the thought of traipsing back and forth from the tap with a bucket in hand just to fill their water tanks. But – and there is a but – if you do want to ensure that your caravan is spic and span you WILL be breaking the ban if you use a hosepipe for cleaning. The Camping and Caravanning Club's Technical Manager Ian Hewlett explained: "Please bear in mind though that you will not be able to wash your unit with a hosepipe during the current ban." [ http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/news/2012/apr/club-offers-hosepipe-ban-advice-campers/ ] So, how can I keep my caravan clean? Many caravan owners are very proud of their 'vans and units – and rightly so – and keeping them clean is a priority. So what can you do when we're all being urged to save water? When the rain finally does stop, there are lots of waterless cleaning products on the market, designed specifically for caravans. AquaZero [ http://www.drymotive.com/html/caravan-cleaning-products.html ] and WOW Caravan and Motorhome cleaner [ http://www.directa.co.uk/site/scripts/product_browse.php?product_id=20212&category_id=1214 ] are just two of the many options available. If you want to avoid buckets of water, messy suds and piles of wet rags and cloths then this is the best way to go. Of course, you could always do it that old fashioned way, with the bucket and all the paraphernalia. There are no rules in place about filling up containers or buckets of water for cleaning direct from a tap – just as long as you don't use a hosepipe. It also gives you the chance to get inventive... one labour-saving tip is reusing a trigger-spray bottle, using it to squirt water over your caravan. Two litres should be enough to clean a standard caravan and the bottles come in up to 1 litre sizes. Two trips to the tap, a lot of squeezing and you're done. What if I do use a hosepipe to clean? Breaking the hosepipe ban is extremely ill-advised, with fines for misuse coming in at up to £1000. The Government and the water companies are urging neighbours and passers-by to tell them if they witness anyone disobeying the ban - you never know who's watching. If everyone does their bit and watches their water consumption then hopefully the drought will end sooner rather than later. then we can all go back to the convenience of hosepipes!