Thames Water response on 26 August 2022:
'In response to feedback on this issue from yourself and other customers and stakeholders, I'm happy to confirm we're introducing a new exception to enable watering of new trees for the first three growing seasons, where they've been planted by councils, charities and similar.
We've published the draft exception wording on our website, and will formalise it in the coming days. It says "23. Trees planted in the last three planting seasons: You may use a hosepipe to water trees planted in the last three planting seasons that cannot reasonably be hand-watered, or watered with non-potable water. This exception only extends to planting by a council, charitable/voluntary organisation, commercial organisation, local authority-affiliated body such as a community tree nursery, or which require watering as part of a Forestry Commission grant agreement."
Where we refer to enabling the use of a hosepipe, this will also extend to use of bowsers'.
The following LTOA response had been submitted to Thames Water on 23 August 2022:
'Significant public money has been invested by local, regional and national government in tree planting schemes, especially at the local authority level. Standard trees are usually watered for three years after planting in streets and green spaces. LTOA members are responsible for delivering annually the successful establishment of thousands of trees across London. These trees will offer significant environmental benefits, including helping tackle surface water flooding and providing cooling, vital in our changing climate. Not watering these trees risks significant costs to replace them, and trees are already in short supply at tree nurseries. We note that commercial plant nurseries are exempt from the ban.
Please ensure that the hosepipe ban clearly allows for trees in their establishment period to continue to be watered. New trees are typically only watered from March-October, so the burden on the water supply is only seasonal.
The LTOA have been in discussion with a number of stakeholders including the GLA, Trees for Cities, the Arb Association and the Forestry Commission. We have agreed to make it easier for all those who may be involved in seasonal tree watering that the following to be made clear on the hosepipe ban website:
Watering trees with bowsers using mains water – should be permitted for:
- Landowners and their contractors watering trees in streets (including in verges) and green spaces
- Friends of Parks groups, community groups, volunteers watering trees in green spaces
- Residents watering trees on streets (where access to watering cans and/or grey water is not practicable)
- Trees for Cities and other similar organisations where they are watering trees on streets and in green spaces
Longer term
With our climate rapidly changing, this will not be the last hosepipe ban we will experience. In the future, trees will need to be treated as assets at risk during a drought and prioritised. Trees should be treated separately to plants or grasses as they have a longer establishment period than other plants, requiring at least three years of watering after planting.
The LTOA would be happy to offer a representative from our association to sit on any current or future drought advisory groups in the Greater London area, so that the special case for watering trees can be made and understood appropriately'.
