Yorkshire Water will introduce a hosepipe ban across the region from Friday, July 11, following what has been confirmed as the driest spring since records began more than a century ago.
It is the first hosepipe ban to be announced anywhere in the UK this year, with Yorkshire officially declared in drought by the Environment Agency last month. The water company says its reservoir levels have not increased since the final week of January and urgent action is now needed to allow supplies to recover.
The restrictions, formally known as a Temporary Usage Ban (TUB), will apply to all Yorkshire Water customers who receive a clean water supply from the company – including those with NAV suppliers (New Appointment and Variation companies that have successfully applied to become a new service provider within an existing water company’s region).
Under the rules, hosepipes must not be used for watering gardens, cleaning private vehicles or boats, filling or maintaining pools, hot tubs or ponds, or washing patios, windows or outdoor surfaces. Customers may still use watering cans, buckets or water from non-mains sources such as rainwater butts or private boreholes.
Businesses are permitted to use hosepipes if it is essential for commercial purposes, but not for non-essential use.
Breaching the restrictions is a criminal offence under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, and anyone flouting the law would be liable to a fine of up to £3,000.
Yorkshire Water said: “While we’re out 24/7 fixing leaks and looking after your water, we’re asking customers to put down their hosepipes, so we can let our reservoirs recover. Having hosepipe restrictions in place means we can consider applying for drought permits, which allow us to change how we’re operating and further protect water supplies and the environment.”
The company added that restrictions would remain in place until there had been “significant rainfall” and reservoir levels had returned to a “much closer to normal” condition.
The Environment Agency confirmed on June 12 that Yorkshire had entered official drought status, with rainfall this spring at its lowest in 132 years. The agency uses drought triggers to help water companies determine when to take action, and Yorkshire Water says it is closely monitoring the situation.
It added: “We know that climate change will increase the pressures on our water resources and so our long-term Water Resources Management Plan is setting out the investment that we may require to ensure continued resilient supplies into the future.
“We can’t predict the weather, but we will not have the restrictions in place any longer than is absolutely necessary.”