23
Sept
Rainfall leads to largest weekly increase in reservoir levels in 30 years
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Heavy rain has resulted in the largest weekly increase in reservoir levels in three decades, according to Yorkshire Water.
The firm, which imposed hosepipe restrictions in July, today (September 23) said local reservoir stocks increased by 14.8 percentage points over the last seven days.
Reservoir levels have risen from 30.8% to 45.6%, but they remain “well below” the 69.9% average for this time of year.
Scar House Reservoir near Middlesmoor recorded more than 3 billion litres of inflow water due to the rain, whilst Grimwith Reservoir near Greenhow recorded more than 2.7 billion litres inflow.
Groundwater levels and rivers across the county also saw a significant increase in water levels, Yorkshire Water said.
It comes a week after the company announced reservoir levels had risen for the first time since January.
Nevertheless, hosepipe restrictions look set to remain for the foreseeable future.
David Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, previously said the ban will continue “until water stocks have recovered", which "could extend into the winter”.
In a statement today, Mr Kaye said:
The rainfall we’ve seen over the last seven days has had a significant impact – the largest weekly increase in stocks we’ve seen in 30 years. The rain over the last seven days has also recharged groundwater and the region’s rivers. The recharge of the rivers means we can enact our drought orders and permits to allow the reservoirs maximum recovery.
The Environment Agency declared a drought in Yorkshire in June.
Yorkshire Water was recently granted a number of drought orders and permits which allow it to abstract more water from the River Ouse and the River Wharfe and to reduce the flows out of reservoirs in the south and north-west of the region. This is intended to lower the burden on the reservoirs, allowing them to recover during periods of rainfall.
Mr Kaye added today:
While the increase in reservoir and groundwater stocks is positive and very welcome after the driest summer on record, our stocks are still well below where they should be at this time of year. We hope the reservoirs and groundwater will continue to recover through the autumn and winter months so we’re in a good position entering 2026.
The hosepipe restrictions remain in place and will be in effect until reservoir and groundwater levels have seen sufficient recovery. We’re hoping this will occur through usual autumn and winter rainfall and we will continue to monitor levels and remove the restrictions as soon as we are able.
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