Small garden ponds can be filled by rainwater or by mains supply. During drought, the use of hosepipes for filling or topping up may be banned. Any ponds stocked with fish are not subject to hosepipe bans, as fish are regarded as livestock.
Water supply to ponds, lakes or wetlands, unless filled by ground water or surface run-off, is subject to regulation. A licence must be obtained from EA (or equivalent), either to impound a watercourse or to fill an off-stream pond or wetland by abstraction from or diversion of a nearby watercourse. A licence is also required to abstract water from a well, borehole or surface excavation. An exemption may be water abstraction for a pond for agricultural purposes, but the advice of EA (or equivalent) should be obtained
