Downing Street Says » Hosepipe Ban

» Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Hosepipe Ban

Asked to comment on reports that Downing Street was flouting the hosepipe ban, the PMOS said that without wishing to lose some of the non-gardening members of the lobby, this was a story of a ‘bowser with a douser’. In response to perplexed expressions from journalists the PMOS went on to say that we were fully complying with the hosepipe ban, even though as part of the royal parks Downing Street was technically exempt from the ban. We had invested in a small portable container called a bowser, which was essentially a very large watering can. It held approximately 6 watering cans worth of water. The gardener used the bowser with a trigger action douser which had more accurate spraying and minimised water wastage. Although it might look like a hosepipe, it wasn’t.

He apologised for taking up valuable briefing time on this, however it appeared that the Evening Standard considered the matter to be of grave importance. Asked if this was not just a good way of getting round the hosepipe ban, the PMOS said that this was not a way round the hosepipe ban, it was a way of complying with it. The objection to hosepipes was that they wasted lots water needlessly. This system of delivery was very targeted to where it was needed. Not only was this legitimate, it was actually a very good way of using water effectively.

Put to him that it was still filled up from the tap, the PMOS said that all watering cans were filled up from the tap. He pointed out that Downing Street was a listed building and thus it was not possible to interfere with the lead pipes, therefore we couldn’t have a water butt at present although we were investigating various possibilities.The PMOS added that the trigger mechanism on the bowser was powered by a 12 volt re-chargeable battery rather than petrol because it was greener.

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Hosepipe Ban

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