Written question asked by Gregory Stafford (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Car Washes: Water

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of restricting the use of mains water by commercial car washes during periods of water scarcity.

Answer: Managing water demand through non-essential use bans can only be granted if there is a risk of a serious deficiency of water supply due to an exceptional shortage of rain and following a thorough assessment process which considers detailed advice from the Environment Agency. Water companies that wish to apply to limit non-essential uses of water are responsible for assessing the volumes of water savings in their NEUB application and cost benefit analysis. The impact on commercial businesses that may be impacted will be considered as part of any assessment of whether a non-essential use ban is agreed.

Secondary information