Copied and pasted from Veolias terms
Cleaning walls, windows or roofs of domestic premises using
a hosepipe
Definitions
The category of activity under the temporary water use ban powers is “cleaning walls, or
windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe”.
The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 defines this category as applying only to the
cleaning of the external walls, windows or roofs of domestic premises.
The definition excludes cleaning activities for health or safety reasons.
“Domestic premises” under this activity means:
a) a building used principally as a dwelling or dwellings;
b) a garage, shed, outbuilding or other building or structure used or enjoyed in connection
with a building used principally as a dwelling; or
c) a wall or other means of enclosure within the curtilage of a building used principally as a
dwelling.
Interpretation:
This relates to all domestic building structures, whether they are permanent or temporary.
Non-domestic roofs are not included in the ban, other than with respect to sky-light or similar
windows. Domestic roofs are specifically covered under the Water Use (Temporary Bans)
Order 2010 activity of ‘cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe’.
Messages
Customers may clean building walls and windows by hand, using a bucket.
If a building can be cleaned by permanent plumbing then it is still a permitted activity.
Storage tanks
Restrictions apply to water drawn from the mains supply after the statutory notice has been
given. So water drawn into a container prior to that date may be used for cleaning the
exterior of buildings.
Grey water and rainwater may be used to clean walls or windows.
Water fed poles are frequently used by window cleaners and are within the definition of
‘anything designed, adapted or used to serve the same purpose as a hosepipe’. These
systems use de-ionised water. Where mains water is the source used to create this deionised
water, this activity is restricted.
Exceptions
A statutory exception exists in The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 for the cleaning
of domestic walls or windows in respect of health or safety. This includes:
a) removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety; and
b) preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents of disease.
Any person whose business was in existence before 15 March 2012 and whose income is
solely dependant on this type of use for domestic or commercial purposes, then we will make
an exception until 23:59 on 4 July 2012. During this time we are requesting that businesses
ensure that at the end of this time period they can operate under the restrictions
So we are ok until 4 July 2012. Hope it rains at night and on weekends.
