Hosepipe ban

"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay parched and yellowing — for the use of hosepipes had been banned due to drought."

- Description.

Due to drought, the use of hosepipes was banned in Little Whinging during early August of 1995. The Dursleys were known to have cheated this ban on occasion.

Behind the scenes
In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, this ban seems not to have been enacted, as sprinklers can be clearly seen irrigating the street's front yards.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix