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What does the north-west England hosepipe ban mean for you?

A hosepipe ban is coming into force in the north-west of England on 5 August, affecting about seven million people.

United Utilities (UU) said the temporary ban would "safeguard essential supplies".

But what are the dos and don'ts of a hosepipe ban?

18 July 2018

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People in high-vis jackets walk next to a car submerged in floods on the left of a split screen with a snowy road on the right

Atmospheric river dumps snow and record rain on California

Science & Environment

Phone footage of a skate surfacing out of grey waves to a rigid inflatable boat.ttack the side of a inflatable

Watch the moment a skate attacks a fisherman's boat off Shetland

NE, Orkney & Shetland

Smoke billows from house fire.

Video shows flames and thick smoke at house fire

A view from an EasyJet plane window as it flies above and to the side of an erupting volcano

Plane passengers film Iceland volcano lava from above

BBC News

East of England weather forecast

Composite image of Sir Keir Starmer and BBC Radio WM presenter Kath Stanczyszyn, who is pictured wearing headphones and speaking into a purple microphone

Will there be a Birmingham pub bombings inquiry?

Birmingham & Black Country

A huge Christmas tree on a flatbed lorry in font of the US Capitol building

US Capitol Christmas tree arrives in DC

Blurred still image from video clips shows people being taken out of a car

Migrants asked to rate trip in smuggler review videos

John Darvall sat on the left of a composite image, in a purple studio with a microphone in front of him. On the right is Keir Starmer with grey hair and brown glasses.

PM challenged on West's councils facing bankruptcy

BBC Newsline

BBC Newsline signed summary

BBC Scotland weather presenter Christopher Blanchett in front of a weather map of Scotland showing snow warnings.

Watch the Storm Bert weather forecast for Scotland

Mural of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke unveiled

Parts of West Burton A power station being demolished

Power station demolition captured by drone

Man clinging to a cliff being rescued

Moment person clinging to cliff is rescued by helicopter

A woman in a hospital gown grins on the left and a monitor lit up with lungs is on the right of a split screen.

Woman gets first double lung transplant done by robot

Ryan Borgwardt

US kayaker who faked own death thought to have fled to Europe

Ruth Dodsworth in the BBC studios in Cardiff. She is sitting on an orange sofa. She has cropped blonde hair and is wearing a fitted mauve top,

Stalking was part of my daily life, says presenter

A Christmas tree with lots of blue and green lights. A building nearby has yellow lights and a red bow so it looks like a present. You can see people stood in front of the building.

Manx capital sparkles at Christmas lights switch-on

A woman has her make up done in a Swansea salon for Beaujolais Day

'Beaujolais day is Swansea's Christmas'

A woman polished a large Gromit statue at the launch of the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail in Bristol. The statue has a multicoloured sparkly pattern. The woman is wearing a red and white shirt and a black dress over the top and she has red hair cut in a bob style

Aardman unveils new Wallace and Gromit trail

South Asian widows exercising together in Blackburn. Image shows women doing chair yoga in a community centre.

Group's 30 years helping South Asian widows exercise

Many friendships have been formed in the group, which aims to improve health and mental well-being.

Curly the diving instructor adjusting a mask in a swimming pool as he teaches

Instructor's passion 'makes diving accessible'

An instructor is inspiring two men to achieve their dream of scuba diving.

Annabel Tiffin with election breakdown

How the general election could affect the North West

BBC North West political editor Annabel Tiffin explains the region's political map.

bittern bird

Britain's loudest birds are booming once again

The RSPB reports ten "booming" males at Leighton Moss - the most on the reserve since the 1990s.

Simon Gray and one of his children in Ghostbusters outfits

Ghostbusters superfan lands role in latest film

Simon Gray has been collecting toys and merchandise for 30 years.

Ellis Palmer on his handcycle on the Lune Valley greenway

Cycle path transformation to become more accessible

A popular path for people walking and cycling near Lancaster has undergone a transformation.

Opening of Showtown Museum, Blackpool

Musical theatre star opens resort's showbiz museum

The £13m venue , Blackpool's first permanent museum and hopes to contribute to its regeneration..

Councillor approaching a woman in meeting

Councillor allegedly pushes protester in meeting

Lancashire Police says it is investigating an allegation of assault but no arrests have been made.

Spud brothers Harley and Jacob Nelson

Jacket potato tram gets TikTok tourism boost

The "spud brothers" stack up more than 17 million likes for their "modern day twist" on the hearty meal.

CCTV

Murder inquiry releases CCTV of suspect on bike

Lenny Scott, 33, was shot outside a gym in a "cruel and cold-blooded assassination", police say.

Fundraiser Hughie (left) rings a bell with best friend Freddie alongside him

Teen fundraiser rings bell for cancer all-clear

Hughie, 13, was joined by best friend, Freddie, to "ring the bell" to mark the end of his treatment.

Emu on the loose

Escaped emu on the loose on main road

The flightless bird was caught on dashcam footage while on the run in Rawtenstall.

Starling murmuration

Mesmerising starling murmuration captured at dusk

Thousands of birds are captured on camera swooping above a nature reserve in Lancashire.

Cleaning the chandeliers at Blackpool Tower

Restoring the sparkle of landmark's chandeliers

Every year the massive chandeliers are cleaned by hand at Blackpool Tower.

Barbara McInnis drumming

Woman, 90, says learning to drum brought her joy

Barbara McInnis, from Morecambe, has been taking lessons from former Simply Red drummer Chris Joyce.

staff with the two cats

Stray cats find forever home with rail staff

The feline duo have been demanding treats and inadvertently sending emails at a Blackpool depot.

Dog being treated on table

Donor dog's life saved by blood donation

Minnie, who donated blood four times, has ended up being saved after receiving a donation.

Seema

Self-taught chef wins cooking accolade

Ex-teacher Seema Dalvi is named best chef for the North of England at the Asian Curry Awards 2023.

Thousands of birds were captured on camera swooping above a nature reserve near Preston.

Stunning murmuration captured near nature reserve

Thousands of birds were captured on camera swooping above a nature reserve near Preston.

Emad Abuaassi

'We left everything behind when we fled Gaza'

Emad Abuaassi says he and his family had to leave their flat in the middle of the night.