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Aug 2022

Last Updated: 12/08/2022

Environment

Hosepipe ban introduced for Harrogate district

by John Plummer

| 12 Aug, 2022

Yorkshire Water announces this morning it is introducing a hosepipe ban on August 26.

The Harrogate district will be covered by a hosepipe ban from August 26.

Yorkshire Water announced this morning it was introducing the measure as England teeters on the brink of a drought.

It will be the area's first hosepipe ban since 1995.

Neil Dewis, its director of 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.

Mr Dewis said Yorkshire Water had reduced water lost by leaky pipes by 50% since 1995/6 but the measure was still necessary.

But he said the "trigger point" for a ban had now been reached.

He added:

"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."

A hosepipe ban also allows Yorkshire Water to apply for drought permits from the Environment Agency, which means it can abstract more water from rivers.

The hosepipe ban includes:

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 these 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, rainwater from a water butt, or a private borehole, for example.

Businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.

There are restrictions on using a hosepipe if not for those essential commercial needs – so using a hosepipe to clean a path outside a business property, for example, would not be allowed.

Blue badge holders, those on Yorkshire Water’s Priority Services register or WaterSure tariff for medical reasons, are also excluded from the ban.

More information is available here.

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Hosepipe ban introduced for Harrogate district

The hosepipe ban includes:

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