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10
Dec
Yorkshire hosepipe ban finally lifted, earlier than expected
Yorkshire Water has lifted the region's hosepipe ban today, five months after it was imposed due to an unusually long spell of dry weather.
Heavy rain has seen reservoir levels jump to 91.6%, meaning that available water resources – including reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater sources – are above average for this time of year (85.1%), and restrictions can safely be lifted.
The temporary hosepipe restriction was introduced across Yorkshire on July 11, following the driest spring in 132 years and a record-breaking warm summer that saw reservoir levels drop to just 30.6%.
Twenty-two Yorkshire reservoirs dropped below 20%, including Scar House and Thruscross, in Nidderdale.
Yorkshire Water estimated that levels could have dropped as low as 17.6% across the region, had householders not taken action to save water, and had it not initiated a drought management plan, which moved water around the region's grid system.
Between April and October, 28 drought permits and orders across 26 reservoirs and two rivers were implemented. It is estimated these measures helped hold back an extra 4 billion litres of water in reservoirs.
The company said it fixed almost 15,000 leaks while the hosepipe restrictions were in place, repairing a leak every 25 minutes between April and December.
Dave Kaye, director of water and wastewater at Yorkshire Water, said:
We are incredibly grateful to our customers for their efforts to save water throughout the dry spring and summer, and into the wetter months.
When restrictions were first introduced and the weather was warm, customer usage went down by 10%, taking pressure off our reservoirs. Continuing those water-saving actions when we finally started seeing rainfall, as well as us making use of drought orders and permits, meant that our reservoirs could recover as much as possible – and it’s part of the reason why we’re able to end the restrictions earlier than we initially thought.
While the restrictions are lifting it is important people continue to think about their water usage and consider using water wisely throughout the year, not just during periods of drought and hot weather.
The end of the restrictions comes into effect immediately, and members of the public may now use water as usual. Drought permit activity at Yorkshire Water’s reservoirs and the region’s rivers has also ended.
Mr Kaye added:
While we are back to normal, we’re continuing our work to manage our water resources carefully both in the weeks and months ahead, and over the long-term so that we can meet growing demand for water in an increasingly challenging climate.
This means continuing to bring down leakage, with a £38m investment planned over the next five years, and progressing our plans to bring additional sources of water into our network through the installation of new boreholes and storage reservoirs.
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