Outdoor water-use restriction

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An outdoor water-use restriction is a ban or other lesser restrictions put into effect that restricts the outdoor use of water supplies. Often called a watering ban or hosepipe ban,^[1] it can affect:

• irrigation of lawns
• car washing
• recreational uses such as filling swimming pools and using water slides
• planting of grass or control of the types of grass planted
• hosing down pavement areas

Such bans may be put in place by local governments, a state government or water supplier.^[2] In the latter case, local authorities often still can enact more restrictive measures.

Such a ban is usually enacted during droughts, to preserve water for essential uses such as drinking and flushing toilets, as well as for firefighting. If there is a water main break, or a problem with a water tower or other reservoir, a ban may be enacted on a very local and temporary basis. Bans that control water and plant uses can be permanent. Greywater recycling is becoming a necessity due to shortages in freshwater supply, an increase in populations with its associated food supply, and economic development.^{[citation needed]}