Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
13
May
Yorkshire Water 'keeping close eye on' low water levels in reservoirs
Yorkshire Water says it is watching reservoir water levels closely after one of the driest winters on record.
Low rainfall through the cooler months and a spell of warmer weather more recently have left reservoirs across Yorkshire only 73.1% full. The average for this time of year is far higher: 89.5%.
Over the weekend, visitors to local reservoirs – including Angram, Scar House and Gouthwaite in Nidderdale, Roundhill and Leighton in Wensleydale, and Thruscross, Fewston, Swinsty and Lindley Wood in the Washburn Valley – will have seen how visibly depleted they are.
The reservoir bed at Swinsty should not be visible at this time of year.
The Stray Ferret asked Yorkshire Water how serious the situation is, and what it is doing to alleviate it.
The company’s director of water service delivery, Dave Kaye, told us:
We’re keeping a close eye on the weather after what has been the driest February, March and April in Yorkshire for almost 90 years and have plans in place for a range of circumstances in the short-, medium- and long-term.
The higher temperatures have also increased water usage, with as much as 100 million litres extra water supplied on days when temperatures have spiked recently, which is the equivalent of Hull's daily usage.
We’re carefully managing water resources across the region using our grid network to move water around, as well as investing £16m this year to reduce leakage as much as possible and fitting smart meters in customers' homes to help them manage usage and detect leaks.
Anglers are fishing in ever smaller pools.
Customers in Yorkshire used 60 million additional litres of water a day over the weekend – that’s enough to supply the equivalent of the whole of York and surrounding villages.
Water Saving Week
Yorkshire Water is supporting the Waterwise project's Water Saving Week (May 12-18) by reminding customers to save water where they can.
Nicci Russell, chief executive of Waterwise, said:
This Water Saving Week is about people power, and we’re calling on everyone to step up as water-saving heroes by taking simple, effective actions to ease the pressure on our water supplies. Whether it's taking shorter showers, checking for leaks, installing a water butt in the garden, or letting your lawn go golden – these small actions really add up.
Even skipping the pre-rinse and waiting for a full load before running the dishwasher can make a difference.
Avoid heavy sprinkler use in the coming months too – they can use as much water in an hour as a whole family does in a day.
0