Two men carried 50 litres of 'legal hosepipe water' 51 miles from Brighton to London, where much of the city is under a hosepipe ban following weeks of dry weather. Creative partners George Lazarides, 30, and Joe Pattern, 27, drove 25 two-litre bottles of water from Brighton to the capital on August 10.
Protest and Help for Gardeners
The pair, from London, set up outside Stockwell Tube station and Croxted Road Garden Centre in Herne Hill, where they handed out water labelled 'legal hose pipe water' and gave out water-saving tips. Around 10,000,000 homes in London have been under a hosepipe ban since July 23 as health warnings are issued ahead of the UK's fifth heatwave. Brighton is not currently under a hosepipe ban.
George and Joe decided to make a statement by taking the water to London for gardeners. George, who works in advertising, told Talk to the Press: 'We saw that in London there is a hosepipe ban and in Brighton there is not, but the whole county is drought-ridden.'
Unfair Bans and a Joke
'We wanted to make a point against the water companies on unfair bans and we also wanted to help Londoners and to try to ensure that they could look after their gardens and their green spaces properly. It was partly a joke and partly trying to be helpful. It is strange one county has a hosepipe ban and another doesn't.'
George and Joe drove to Brighton on Sunday night and filled up the 25 bottles using their friend's hosepipe. They then made the journey home on Monday and handed out water to around 100 people.
Positive Response and Future Plans
George continued: 'We got a good response so we will definitely do it again. We knew that there was going to be another heatwave coming. And so we wanted to respond to that. When we spoke to people and gardeners, they were saying how frustrated they were with the hosepipe ban.'
Nine water companies have imposed hosepipe bans across the UK, affecting nearly 26,000,000 people. The restrictions mean hosepipes can't be used for watering gardens or allotments, washing cars, filling paddling pools, or cleaning windows. Water companies implement them to ensure enough water is saved for drinking and for other essential use. Anyone in breach of the hosepipe ban could be fined up to £1,000.
