View source for Water cannon

{{Short description|Device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2008}}
[[File:Police water cannon in protests against Netanyahu.png|thumb|300x300px|Water cannon used for crowd control in Jerusalem during [[2020–2021 protests against Benjamin Netanyahu|the 2020 protests against Benjamin Netanyahu]]]]
[[File:Wasserwerfer.jpg|thumb|Water cannon during a German demonstration, 2001]]

A '''water cannon''' is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in [[firefighting]], large vehicle washing, [[riot control]], and mining. Most water cannons fall under the category of a [[fire monitor]].

==Firefighting==
{{Main|Fire monitor}}
Water cannons were first devised for use on [[fireboat]]s. Extinguishing fires on boats and buildings near the water was much more difficult and dangerous before fireboats were invented. The first fireboat deployed in Los Angeles was commissioned on 1 August 1919. The first fireboat in New York City was ''Marine 1'', deployed 1 February 1891. There may have been other fireboats elsewhere even earlier.

[[Fire apparatus|Fire trucks]] deliver water with much the same force and volume as water cannons, and have even been used in riot control situations, but are rarely referred to as water cannons outside this context.

==Riot control==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10865, Berlin, Wasserwerfer der Schutzpolizei.jpg|thumb|right|First German Police water cannon]]
The first truck-mounted water cannon was used for riot control in Germany in the beginning of the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trucks.autoreview.ru/archive/2007/02/vodomet/ |title=Fedor Lapshin (Федор ЛАПШИН), ''Vodyannoye ohlazdhenie'' (Водяное охлаждение) |publisher=Trucks.autoreview.ru }}</ref>

The most modern versions do not expose the operator to the riot, and are controlled remotely from within the vehicle by a [[joystick]]. The Austrian-built WaWe 10.000 by Rosenbauer used by German police can carry {{convert|10000|L|impgal}} of water, which can deploy water in all directions via three cannons, all of which are remotely controlled from inside the vehicle by a joystick. The vehicle has two forward cannons with a delivery rate of {{convert|20|L/s|impgal/min}}, and one rear cannon with a delivery rate of {{convert|15|L/s|impgal/min}} {{citation needed|date=May 2013}}
[[File:Activating a water cannon against demonstrators in Tel Aviv.webm|thumb|Activating a water cannon against demonstrators in Tel Aviv, May 2024]]
Water cannons designed for riot control are still made in the United States and the United Kingdom, but most products are exported, particularly to Africa and parts of Asia such as Indonesia.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Confrontations that took place in the era of the [[American Civil Rights Movement]], where high-pressure water hoses (specifically fire hoses, as water cannons were not used) were used by authorities to disperse crowds of protesting African Americans, led to the demise of water as a riot control measure in the United States.<ref>{{cite episode
| title        = Non-Lethal Weapons
| url          = https://www.alpineco.com/media/videos?video=ArwQyfRShzM
| series       = Modern Marvels
| credits      = Fred Khoroushi (interviewee, President Alpine Armoring, Tony Long (writer), Bruce Nash (creator)
| network      = History Channel
| airdate      = 13 March 2003
| season       = 9
| number       = 9
}}</ref>

===Safety===
Use of water cannon in riot control contexts can lead to injury or death,<ref>{{cite web|author1=Anna Feifenbaum|title=White-washing the water cannon: salesmen, scientific experts and human rights abuses|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/anna-feigenbaum/white-washing-water-cannon-salesmen-scientific-experts-and-human-rights|website=OpenDemocracy|access-date=15 July 2015|date=25 February 2014}}</ref> with fatalities recorded in Indonesia (in 1996, when the cannon's payload contained [[ammonia]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/british-arms-help-jakarta-fight-war-against-its-own-people-oveyr-2-1275264.html|title=British arms help Jakarta fight war against its own people oveyr 2|author=Sue Lloyd-Roberts|date=27 March 1997|work=The Independent|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> Zimbabwe (in 2007, when the use of cannons on a peaceful crowd caused panic),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newzimbabwe.com/pages/mdc44.15976.html |title=3 feared dead as police crush Zimbabwe protests |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221053037/http://newzimbabwe.com/pages/mdc44.15976.html |archive-date=21 February 2007 }}</ref> Turkey (in [[Gezi Park protests|2013]], when the payload was laced with "liquid [[tear gas]]"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nid=49009|title=Substance in water cannons in Gezi Park protests harmful and criminal, experts say – LOCAL|date=18 June 2013 |access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> Ukraine (in [[Euromaidan|2014]], with the death of activist and businessman Bogdan Kalynyak, reportedly catching [[pneumonia]] after being sprayed by a water cannon in freezing temperatures)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/activist-watered-by-police-died-because-of-pneumonia-335885.html|title=Protester dies of pneumonia, allegedly caused by water cannons|date=30 January 2014|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> and South Korea (in 2016, when a 68-year-old farmer died after injuries sustained by a water cannon the previous year).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/06/251_231309.html|title=Seoul National University Hospital corrects cause of activist's death|work=The Korea Times|access-date=7 July 2017|date=15 June 2017}}</ref>
Water cannons in use during the 1960s, which were generally adapted [[fire truck]]s, would knock protesters down and, on occasion, tear their clothes.

On 30 September 2010, during a protest demonstration against the [[Stuttgart 21|Stuttgart 21 project]] in Germany, a demonstrator was hit in the face by a water cannon.<ref name=Spiegelblind>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,722939,00.html|title=Wasserwerfer-Opfer bleibt auf einem Auge blind|date=13 October 2010|access-date=23 March 2011|language=de|trans-title=Water cannon victim blinded in one eye|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205012559/http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,722939,00.html|archive-date=5 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Dietrich Wagner]], a retired engineer, suffered damage to his eyelids and retinas,<ref>"[http://www.thelocal.de/20101006/30295 Injured Stuttgart 21 protester could stay blind]." ''[[The Local]]''. 6 October 2010. Retrieved on 22 March 2014.</ref> resulting in near-complete loss of his eyesight.<ref name=Spiegelblind/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101228-32075.html|title=Blinded Stuttgart 21 protester wants apology|date=28 December 2010|access-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205220831/http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101228-32075.html|archive-date=5 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Graphic imagery was recorded of the event, sparking a national debate about [[police brutality]] and proportionality in the use of [[state force]].

According to a report issued in the United Kingdom,{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} using [[plastic bullet]]s instead of water cannons was justified because the latter "are inflexible and indiscriminate", although several people had previously been killed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/rubberplasticbullet.htm|title=List of People Killed by 'Rubber' and 'Plastic' Bullets|date=14 March 2011|access-date=26 August 2011}}</ref> or seriously injured by plastic bullets.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

==Alternative payload==
===Dye===
In 1997 pink dye was reportedly added to the water used by South Korean and Indonesian police to disperse a riot.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA210391997?open&of=ENG-390 |title=Indonesia and East Timor: Arms and security transfers undermine human rights – Amnesty International |access-date=15 January 2007 |archive-date=19 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061119055643/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA210391997?open&of=ENG-390 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The implication is that they might use this mark to make it easier to arrest rioters later. The United Kingdom, which had sold the water cannon to Indonesia, condemned this practice (although the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] had used a water cannon with purple dye during [[The Troubles]] in Northern Ireland) but later approved the sale of further water cannons to them. Most modern water cannons are also capable of adding tear gas to the stream.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

===Electrified water jet===
In 2004 Jaycor Tactical Systems was experimenting with additives (salt and additives to reduce the breakup of the stream into droplets) that would allow electricity to be conducted through water. They have demonstrated delivery from a distance of up to {{cvt|20|feet}}, but have not yet tested the device on people.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jaycor.com/eme/watcan.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040626083201/http://www.jaycor.com/eme/watcan.htm | archive-date = 26 June 2004 | title = Jaycor Water Cannon | access-date = 18 July 2011}}</ref>

Although referred to as an electrified water cannon, this experiment involved a water jet much less powerful than a water cannon.

==Other types==
Water cannon differ from other similar devices in the volume of water delivered in a given time, the nozzle speed, the pressure that it is delivered at, and to a lesser extent the total volume that can be delivered. They are also generally portable. The method of employment is also important in labeling a device a water cannon. Nevertheless, the distinction between a water cannon and other similar devices is fuzzy. For example:-
*[[Pressure washer]]s generally produce an extremely high pressure stream where the power of the stream drops off significantly over a very short distance.
*[[Water pistol]]s and other toys deliver much lower volumes of water at a much lower pressure.
*Ultra high pressure [[water jet cutter]]s are used to cut a wide variety of materials including [[granite]], concrete (see [[hydrodemolition]]), [[ceramic]]s, fabric and even [[Kevlar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jetedge.com/content.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_applications_101 |title=How a Water Jet Machine Works |publisher=JET EDGE Waterjet Systems |access-date=24 February 2009 |archive-date=27 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227094126/http://www.jetedge.com/content.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_applications_101 |url-status=dead }}</ref> One such cutter delivers {{convert|55000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} through a nozzle {{convert|0.003|inch|um}} in diameter at 1 kilometre per second, which can cut a person at a close range. There are reports of accidental deaths involving the industrial use of high-pressure water.<ref>{{cite web|title=OSHA Cites Contractor Following Employee's Death from Exposure to High-Pressure Water Jet Cutting Streams |url=http://www.sspc.org/regnews/penaltybox/CO1201.html |publisher=OSHA Region 10 News Release |access-date=21 February 2014 |date=11 December 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040302064336/http://www.sspc.org/regnews/penaltybox/CO1201.html |archive-date=2 March 2004 }}</ref>

==Usage==
Water cannon are still in large scale use in Chile, Belgium, the Netherlands and other parts of the world.

===Australia===
The [[New South Wales Police Force]] purchased a water cannon in 2007 and had it deployed on standby during an [[APEC]] meeting in Sydney that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/wet-v-wild-riot-squad-shows-off-its-700000-weapon/2007/08/20/1187462176707.html |title=Wet v wild: riot squad shows off its $700,000 weapon |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date= 21 August 2007|access-date=2008-12-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0020/4196/bp3_16police_n.rtf |title=Archived copy |access-date=26 February 2008 |archive-date=23 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723193428/http://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0020/4196/bp3_16police_n.rtf |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was the first purchase of a water cannon by a police service in Australia. However, it ended up not being used during the APEC meeting, and was never used during any instance of civil unrest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/ad22cc96ba50555dca257051007aa5c8/a59b96d4bbb2e8e6ca25737e0027641b!OpenDocument |title=0712 – WATER CANNON |publisher=Parliament.nsw.gov.au |access-date=2008-12-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080312075523/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/ad22cc96ba50555dca257051007aa5c8/a59b96d4bbb2e8e6ca25737e0027641b!OpenDocument |archive-date = 12 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Gemma|title=Police water cannon hasn't fired a drop in anger|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/police-water-cannon-hasnt-fired-a-drop-in-anger/story-e6freuy9-1225736494743|accessdate=6 December 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=17 June 2009}}</ref> Eventually it was retired and converted to a water tanker for fire department use.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cobar's Station 256 debuts its new fire fighting weapon|url=https://cobarweekly.com.au/cobars-station-256-debuts-its-new-fire-fighting-weapon/|accessdate=13 January 2025|newspaper=The Cobar Weekly|date=13 November 2019}}</ref>

===Germany===
[[File:Wasserwerfer der Polizei ST1 und ST2 - Sachsen-Anhalt - Einsatzraum Dresden - vor dem Polizeirevier Dresden Schießgasse - am Samstag 17.April 2021 - Querdenkerdemo Einsatz - Bild 002.jpg|thumb|WaWe 10000 – [[Dresden]]]]
The annual riots on 1 May in Berlin, the Schanzenfest fair in Hamburg, which regularly ends in riots, or other demonstrations, are usually accompanied by water cannon, which support riot police. The most commonly used water cannon in Germany over years was the [[Wasserwerfer 9000]]. Since 2019, the only water cannon type used by riot police, which are around 50 units in total, is the [[Wasserwerfer 10000]].

===Hong Kong===
[[File:Water cannon in Hong Kong delivering water with blue pigment.jpg|thumb|Specialised crowd management vehicle, the water cannon of [[Hong Kong Police Force]] was shooting with blue-dyed water during [[2019–2020 Hong Kong protests|Hong Kong protests]].]]
Three truck-mounted water cannon, officially known as 'Specialised Crowd Management Vehicles', were purchased by [[Hong Kong Police]] from France in mid-2018.<ref name="scmp-2018-05-22">{{cite news |last1=Leung |first1=Christy |title=First look at Hong Kong police's anti-riot vehicle with water cannons as shipment from France arrives |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-law-and-crime/article/2147206/exclusive-pictures-first-police-anti-riot |access-date=11 November 2020 |publisher=SCMP |date=22 May 2018}}</ref> The truck chassis were provided by [[Mercedes-Benz]] and the water spray devices were also made by German firm Ziegler.<ref name="hkcro">{{cite book |title=Urgent Appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Toxics |publisher=Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor |location=Hong Kong |page=20 |url=https://www.hkcro.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/202001-Urgent-Appeal-Tear-gas_FINAL.pdf |access-date=2020-11-11 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116025053/https://www.hkcro.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/202001-Urgent-Appeal-Tear-gas_FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The three water cannon cost HK$27&nbsp;million to purchase, a sum that was criticised as overpriced.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} The vehicles were frequently used by police on participants and bystanders during the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests]]. Blue dye was often added to the water to allow police to identify protesters. Pepper spray solution was also often added as an irritant.<ref>[https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201806/13/P2018061300435.htm LCQ9: Specialised crowd management vehicles], Legislative Council question by [[Claudia Mo]], 13 June 2018</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-49536000 |title=Blue-dyed water fired at protesters defying ban |work=BBC News|date=31 August 2019}}</ref>

On 20 October 2019, police used a water cannon to target and shoot a small group of pedestrians standing outside [[Kowloon Mosque]], in [[Tsim Sha Tsui]], using blue-dyed water mixed with a pepper solution. A large number of Hong Kong residents spontaneously went to the scene to clean up, with the incident resulting in an increased sense of inclusiveness among the Hong Kong public toward the city's Muslim and other minorities.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://coconuts.co/hongkong/news/protesters-help-clean-up-mosque-after-police-fire-water-cannon-at-building/ |title = Protesters help clean up Kowloon Mosque after police drench entrance with dyed water |work=Coconuts Hong Kong|date=21 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ejinsight.com/eji/article/id/2281462/20191022-police-say-water-cannon-vehicle-deployed-to-protect-mosque|title=Police say water cannon vehicle deployed to protect mosque|work=EJ Insight|date=22 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Carvalho |first=Raquel |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3034525/amid-protests-democracy-hong-kongs-ethnic-minorities-strive-be|title=Amid protests for democracy, Hong Kong's ethnic minorities strive to be heard|work=SCMP|date=26 October 2019}}</ref>

=== Israel ===
Since the 1980s, Israel has been exporting water cannons to numerous countries around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=⁨להיט חדש נרכש במשטוות תבר: מפזרת ההנגנות של ביח־ארנא⁩ &mdash; ⁨⁨חדשות⁩ 20 אוקטובר 1987⁩ &mdash; הספרייה הלאומית של ישראל │ עיתונים |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hadashot/1987/10/20/01/article/55 |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> Bet Alpha Technologies, a company owned by [[Kibbutz]] [[Beit Alfa|Bet Alpha]], has sold water cannons to Russia,<ref>{{Cite news |last=מנור |first=הדס |date=20 June 2006 |title=רוסיה רכשה מבית אלפא טכנולוגיות רכבים לפיזור הפגנות ב-5 מיליון ד' |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000104259 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref> China,<ref>{{Cite news |title=בית אלפא תדכא מהומות בסין |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/2006-08-22/ty-article/0000017f-ef1d-da6f-a77f-ff1f027f0000 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref> Turkey,<ref>{{Cite news |last=גלובס |first=כתב |date=12 July 2006 |title=בית אלפא תקיים שת"פ עם חברה מטורקיה |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000111939 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref> the United States,<ref>{{Cite news |title=קיבוץ בית אלפא מכר מערכות דיכוי מהומות לבתי כלא בארה"ב ב-4 מ' ד' |work=TheMarker |url=https://www.themarker.com/misc/2000-10-13/ty-article/0000017f-ef18-d0f7-a9ff-efdd2ec00000 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref> Latvia, Zambia, Argentina and Swaziland<ref>{{Cite news |last=חיון |first=דוד |date=21 August 2003 |title=בית אלפא טכנולוגיות תייצא רכב לפיזור הפגנות ב-7.5 מ' ד' |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=717176 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref> amounting to millions of dollars in sales. The [[Israel Police]] have made extensive use of water cannons during demonstrations. Its water canons are capable of spraying jets of water, [[paint]] (used to mark protesters for later arrest), [[Tear gas|gas]], and [[Skunk (weapon)|Skunk]] in long or short pulses in an effective range of 40 meters. They are controlled controlled by a [[joystick]] and set of cameras, and they are equipped with a [[mine plow]], which allows the vehicle to break through and push through hard barriers like [[barricade]]s placed on the road. During the [[2023 Israeli judicial reform protests]], the [[Israel Police]] allegedly violated its own procedures when on several occasions they fired water streams directly toward protesters' heads, causing damage to the vision of some of them.<ref>{{Cite news |title=המשטרה טוענת שמכת"זית היא אמצעי רך, עדויות מראות אחרת |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/2023-07-31/ty-article/.premium/00000189-a83a-df3e-a7eb-ff7b372f0000 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=שני מפגינים אושפזו עם פגיעות בעיניים לאחר שמכת"זית כיוונה ישירות לראשם |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/2023-07-06/ty-article/00000189-29be-dcb5-a5df-6dffed340000 |access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2023 |title=N12 – המפגין שנפגע ממכת"זית בכינון ישיר: "הם קלטו שצילמתי... |url=https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/2023_q2/Article-d4b39bf558f3781026.htm |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=N12}}</ref>

=== Thailand ===
During the [[2020 Thai protests]], on 16 October 2020, the police used water cannon claimed to have water containing an irritant that made protesters' eyes sting to disperse a peaceful protest in Bangkok.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thai police resort to teargas, arrest warrants against protesters |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Thai-police-resort-to-teargas-arrest-warrants-against-protesters |access-date=16 October 2020 |work=Nikkei Asia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=16 October 2020|title=Thailand protests: Riot police fire water cannon as protesters defy rally ban|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54573349|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

===Turkey===
The [[Turkish police]] water cannon [[TOMA (vehicle)|TOMA]] has been used against protesters many times, including the [[2013 protests in Turkey]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://occupywallst.org/article/instanbul-is-burning/|title=Istanbul is burning|author=Ece Temelkuran|publisher=Occupy Wall Street|date=3 June 2013}}</ref> and are often present at protests of all sizes.

===United Kingdom===
Only six water cannons are operational in the United Kingdom, all held by the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]] (PSNI); these are Somati RCV9000 Vehicle Mounted Water Cannons built on [[GINAF]] chassis, which after extensive evaluation by a [[Defence Scientific Advisory Council]] sub-committee as a [[less-lethal]] replacement of [[baton round]]s, began to enter service with the PSNI from 2004 onwards.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2009/organisational-informationgovernance/water_canons.pdf |title=Information on PSNI water cannons |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Police Service of Northern Ireland |access-date=15 January 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611141629/https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2009/organisational-informationgovernance/water_canons.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Statement on the medical implications of the use of the Somati RCV9000 Vehicle Mounted Water Cannon |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a81770ced915d74e623269d/DOMILL03_20040303_water_cannon02.pdf |publisher=DSAC Sub-committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons |access-date=30 December 2023 |date=3 March 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=1 December 2011 |title=Water sight for UK roads |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/page/1st-december-2011/9 |magazine=[[Commercial Motor]] |volume=216 |issue=5461 |page=12 |location=Sutton |publisher=Road Transport Media |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Water cannon use outside Northern Ireland is not approved, and would require the statutory authorisation from the Home Secretary for use in [[England and Wales]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dodd |first1=Vikram |title=Theresa May rejects use of water cannon in England and Wales |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/23/theresa-may-police-water-cannon-use-england-wales |work=The Guardian |date=23 July 2015}}</ref> or the parliament of Scotland for use in Scotland.{{Citation needed|reason=This claim needs a reliable source; the sources provided only mention executive approval.|date=April 2021}} 

In June 2014, London's [[Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime|Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime]] [[Stephen Greenhalgh]] authorised the [[Metropolitan Police]] to buy three-second-hand [[Wasserwerfer 9000]]s from the [[German Federal Police]]. [[Mayor of London]] [[Boris Johnson]] said that the purchase had been authorised before Parliamentary approval, as the three cannons cost £218,000 to purchase and would require a further £125,000 of work before being deemed suitable for service, as opposed to £870,000 for a single new machine.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27781673|title=Metropolitan Police given permission to buy water cannon|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=3 May 2016|date=11 June 2014}}</ref> But after a study of their safety and effectiveness, Home Secretary [[Theresa May]] said in Parliament in July 2015 that she had decided not to license them for use.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33538171|title=Police water cannon use rejected by home secretary|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=3 May 2016|date=15 July 2015}}</ref> They were sold in November 2018 with the intention of them being dismantled for spare parts. The resale resulted in a net loss of £300,000.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46258584 |title = London water cannon sold at £300k loss|work = BBC News|date = 19 November 2018}}</ref>

===United States===
Truck-based water cannon, and fire hoses used as improvised water cannons, were used widely in the United States during the 1960s for both riot control and suppressing peaceful civil rights marches, including the infamous use ordered by [[Eugene "Bull" Connor]] in [[Birmingham campaign|Birmingham, Alabama in 1963]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Younge |first=Garry |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/07/1963-defining-year-civil-rights|title=1963: the defining year of the civil rights movement|date=7 May 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/bicr/learn/proclamation.htm|title=Presidential Proclamation – Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)|website=Nps.gov|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> The newsreel footage of police turning water cannons and police dogs on civilians—both student protesters and bystanders alike, including children as young as six—widely viewed as shocking and inappropriate and helped turn public sympathies towards civil rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/thewashingtonpost/children-have-changed-america-before-braving-fire-hoses-and-police-dogs-for-civil-rights-9444d62174fd|title=Children Have Changed America Before, Braving Fire Hoses and Police Dogs for Civil Rights|website=Medium.com|date=22 February 2018|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> Water cannons were used in November 2016 during the [[Dakota Access Pipeline protests]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2016/11/21/medics-describe-how-police-sprayed-standing-rock-demonstrators-with-tear-gas-and-water-cannons/|title=Medics Describe How Police Sprayed Standing Rock Demonstrators With Tear Gas and Water Cannons|first=Alleen|last=Brown|website=Theintercept.com|date=21 November 2016|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> In August 2020, state senator Floyd Prozanski suggested water cannons be used by police against protesters in Portland, Oregon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Danny |url=https://www.koin.com/news/civic-affairs/oregon-lawmakers-talk-riot-control-alternatives-water-cannons/|title=Oregon lawmakers talk riot control alternatives, 'water cannons'|website=KOIN|date=5 August 2020|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref>

The [[New York City Police Department]] previously had a water cannon made from a 1982 Oshkosh P-4 as part of their Disorder Control Unit, which was in their fleet until at least the 2000s.<ref>{{cite AV media |last=Martinelli |first=Michael |title=Oshkosh P-4 |format=Image |date=2002 |url=https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/63/05/30/6305303fcc19a996f946d168152e487b.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115040537/https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/63/05/30/6305303fcc19a996f946d168152e487b.jpg |archive-date=15 January 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=14 January 2025 }}</ref> There are no recorded instances of it ever being deployed.

==Mining==
{{Main|Hydraulic mining}}
[[File:Henry Sandham - The Monitor.jpg|thumb|A miner using a hydraulic jet to mine for gold in California, from ''[[The Century Magazine]]'' January 1883]]
Water cannons are used in hydraulic mining to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the [[placer mining]] of gold or [[tin]], the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through [[sluice]] boxes to remove the gold. It is also used in mining [[kaolin]] and coal.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Police Poland 1 AB.jpg|[[Police of Poland|Polish Police's]] Anti-Riot Detachment, filming a gathering. The film can later be presented during a trial as [[evidence (law)|evidence]]. A water cannon is seen in the background.
File:Policijski vodeni top CVT-6000.JPG|[[Croatian Police]] water cannon CVT-6000
File:Polizei Wasserwerfer.jpg|[[Landespolizei|German police]] water cannon WaWe 9000 featuring a {{convert|9000|l|adj=on}} tank
File:Camion canon à eau Police-CRS à Paris - 1.jpg|[[French National Police]] water cannon
File:Camion canon à eau Police-CRS à Paris - 2.jpg|Water cannon of the French National Police deployed to prevent rioting following [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s election, 6 May 2007
File:RoteFloraDemoG8-12.jpg|Demonstration against [[G8]] meeting in [[Hamburg]], 9 May 2007
File:Waterspuit.jpg|A [[Dutch police]] water cannon.
File:Yuugekihousui.jpg|Water cannon unit of [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]]'s [[Riot Police Unit]]. The base vehicle is a [[Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter]].
File:Moscow OMON Lavina-Uragan riot control vehicle.jpg|Moscow [[OMON]] riot control water cannon police vehicle "Lavina-Uragan" on Ural-532362.
File:Internal troops ABS-40 riot control vehicle.jpg|[[Internal Troops of Russia|Russian Internal Troops]] ABS-40 "Lavina" riot control water cannon on BAZ-6953 chassis
File:BRIMOB vehicle.jpg|Riot control water cannon vehicle of the [[Indonesian National Police|Indonesian Police]]'s [[Mobile Brigade Corps]].
File:Vehiculo policial Antidisturbios con con cañon de agua (U.C.M.) - Policía Nacional de Panamá (2011).jpg|Water cannon vehicle of [[Panamanian National Police|police of Panama]], colloquially named {{lang|es|Pitufo}} ("Smurf").
File:Tanqueta.jpg|ISBI armored riot truck with 11,500-liter water capacity being deployed by [[National Police of Colombia|Colombian police]]
File:2013 Taksim Gezi Park protests P13.JPG|[[TOMA (vehicle)|TOMA]] of the [[Turkish police]] during the [[Gezi Park protests]]
</gallery>

==Other meanings==
The term "water cannon" could also refer to:
*Similar land vehicles used for firefighting
*Numerous large stationary toys<ref>{{cite web|author=V.P. Silva |url=http://www.uberreview.com/2006/03/rechargeable-watercraft-with-motorized-water-canon.htm |title=Rechargeable Watercraft With Motorized Water Canon |publisher=The UberReview }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altontowers.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623035146/http://www.alton-towers.co.uk/waterpark/images/guide_watercannon.jpg|url-status=dead|title=Alton Towers Resort: UK Short Breaks, Theme Park & Waterpark|archive-date=23 June 2006|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ragingrapids.co.za/access/watercannons.htm|title=Water Cannons|website=Ragingrapids.co.za|access-date=8 January 2007|archive-date=4 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004175745/http://www.ragingrapids.co.za/access/watercannons.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Waterjet in [[hydraulic mining]]
*A type of railway wagon used to remove fallen [[leaves]] off the track: e.g. [http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/gb/diesel/37/37_7/EWS/leaf-37895-a-jp.jpg seen at Alexandra Palace on 25 October 2003]
*Tool for powerwashing large construction equipment.

==See also==
*[[Non-lethal weapon]]
*[[Deluge gun]]
*[[Riot police]]
*[[Water gun]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category|Water cannons}}

[[Category:Non-lethal weapons]]
[[Category:Riot control weapons]]
[[Category:Water cannons| ]]