Forum Topic

Water Usage at Chiswick Business Park

Yesterday I observed the footpath being jet washed in the Chiswick business park. It didn’t seem particularly dirty. Today, the sprinklers were in use across the grassy areas. This seems wrong to me, given that the rest of us are subject to a hosepipe ban. I would be more sympathetic if such water use was business critical, but clean footpaths and green grass hardly count in that respect.

Mark Webster ● 3d9 Comments

Hammersmith jet washes Lyric Square 2/3 times a week.Pubs have flowers watered by a service. Beyond all the virtue signalling, consider liability. Should someone slip and get injured and maintenance proven to be unsatisfactory or in contravention there would be hell to pay. Paid for by our taxes. Though in the business park, it would be paid by the private estate.

David Lesniak ● 14h

Here's how another business is dealing with the situation:https://berkshirecricket.org/2026/07/21/thames-water-temporary-hosepipe-ban/

Philippa Bond ● 22h

Using sprinklers to keep grassy areas green from a borehole is just the same as connecting from a standpipe, your just collecting it another way.Iris is correct

Julian Pavey ● 1d

They may have a borehole but that is water stored in the aquifers under London and is part of our water supply. so they ought not to be using it

Iris Hill ● 1d

I contacted the business park manager. They told me that the sprinkler system is fed by a private borehole. As to the jet washing, it is provided as part of a maintenance contract and is permitted, apparently.I still don’t approve of the jet washing, but I do appreciate the detailed response from the park management.

Mark Webster ● 1d

"Chiswick Business Park operates a sustainable water and utility system managed under local regional infrastructure by Thames Water, featuring integrated efficiency measures designed to reduce overall consumption. The site relies on the regional West London ring main network, which occasionally faces localized disruptions or low-pressure maintenance challenges due to off-site infrastructure events" Ive a hunch they are operating against the rules for jet washing paths and grass areas with sprinklers.

Julian Pavey ● 3d

From what I have seen in recent, rain free, weeks, is that the lake has been topped up, perhaps to protect the fish. It seems unlikely that the lake water would have been used elsewhere.

Mark Webster ● 3d

They should/could be setting an example of how sustainable they are!  They are supposed to save rainwater but after all these months with no rain most people no longer have any water in their water butts.  Are they reusing their grey water?Buckingham Palace turned off their sprinklers because of the hosepipe ban..  As I understand it Buckingham Palace collects water from the AC in the gallery and I think they also have their own borehole.  I would have thought that anybody with a regular contract to do those jobs of gardening would/could have been allocated something else to do whilst there is a hose pipe and sprinkler ban.As most of us know grass doesn't need to be watered all the time as they are very resilient.https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/water-use-in-gardenshttps://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/temporary-hosepipe-ban

Philippa Bond ● 3d

You are assuming they are taking their water from the water mains but there is a big lake in the middle of the business park and while I don't know if this is the case, they may taking their water from there and the drainage system in the park is designed so rainwater goes to the lake.Not that there has been any rain for weeks but there was a big deluge in June.

Michael Robinson ● 3d