Yes. Plymouth is under a hosepipe ban: you cannot use a hosepipe or sprinkler at home. A watering can or bucket is still fine.
Plymouth's historic supply is Dartmoor water, gathered at Burrator Reservoir on the moor's south-western edge and carried into the city by a system that traces back to Drake's Leat of 1591.
We are an unofficial tracker, so South West Water’s own notice is the version that legally applies to you.
What a hosepipe ban prohibits, and the fine
Temporary Use Bans are made under section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, which lists the eleven prohibited uses at s.76(2). The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (SI 2010/2231) defines them. A company cannot add to that list, so the eleven uses below are the same in Plymouth as anywhere else in England and Wales.
Watering a garden using a hosepipe
Cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe
Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe
Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain
Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe
Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe
The maximum is level 3 on the standard scale, currently £1,000, under section 76(5) of the Water Industry Act 1991. It is not a fixed penalty the company issues itself, and enforcement in practice begins with a warning.
What this means at your address
A hosepipe ban is set by your water company, not your council, and most bans cover only part of a company’s area. Plymouth is billed by South West Water, so its rules are the ones that apply here, but the boundary can run through a town: your postcode is the only certain answer.
Yes. Plymouth is supplied by South West Water, whose hosepipe ban is in force here. A watering can, a bucket and collected rainwater are never restricted.
Which water company supplies Plymouth?
Plymouth is supplied by South West Water. Your water bill confirms your supplier, and a ban is set per company, not per town, so the boundary can run through a town.
What is the fine for breaking a hosepipe ban?
Up to 1,000 pounds, imposed by a magistrates' court on conviction, not a fixed penalty set by the water company. In practice enforcement starts with a warning.