Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe ban across Harrogate district

Yorkshire Water, which supplies five million customers across the country, has announced its first hosepipe ban in 27 years.

The ban will come into force as following research that reservoir levels have fallen below 50% for the first time since the drought of 1995 and it would take months of rain for them to recover.

Neil Dewis, Director of Water at Yorkshire Water, said: “Parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since our records began more than 130 years ago.

"The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20% lower than we would expect for this time of year.

"We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning.

“We’re grateful to our customers, who have been saving water where they can this summer and it is really important that we all continue to do so, to help protect our water resources and the environment."

Yorkshire Water has become the first company in the North of England to introduce a hosepipe ban this summer.

Anyone who is found breaking the temporary ban, which starts on August 26, faces a fine of up to £1,000.

Mr Dewis added: “We’ve been monitoring reservoir levels, weather forecasts and other environmental indicators closely to determine whether we might need to put further measures in place.

"“As we’ve now reached that trigger point, we need to make sure that we have enough supply for the essential needs of people across the region this year and next, as well as making sure we’re able to protect our local environment by limiting the amount of water we have to draw from the rivers.

"Our decision to introduce a hosepipe ban is based on the risk that water stocks continue to fall in the coming weeks and the need to be cautious about clean water supplies and long term river health.

"“Having a hosepipe ban in place also allows us to apply for drought permits from the Environment Agency, which means we can abstract more water from our rivers and reduce flows out of our reservoirs so that we can continue to provide the water our customers rely on us for.

"“The ban will come into effect on 26th August, and we’ll keep everyone updated on when it will end.”

Activities covered by the hosepipe ban include:

- Watering a garden using a hosepipe

- Cleaning vehicles or boats using a hosepipe

- Watering plants with a hosepipe

- Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool

- Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use

- Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe

- Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe

- Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

People can still undertake the above activities without using a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can; or use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water or rainwater from a water butt.

For more information on what is included in the ban and to see if you are affected, visit www.yorkshirewater.com/hosepipes