Hosepipe ban announced for parts of UK as drought takes hold

A hosepipe ban has been announced in Yorkshire after the region saw one of its driest springs on record.

Yorkshire Water said on Tuesday a temporary use ban (TUB) will come into effect from Friday July 11, restricting the use of hosepipes to water gardens and wash private vehicles, fill domestic pools or clean outdoor surfaces until there has been “significant rainfall” in the area.

The organisation said the region has experienced both the driest and warmest spring on record this year, receiving just 15cm of rainfall between February and June, less than half what is expected in an average year.

There has also been a higher water demand, leaving the region’s reservoirs at 55.8% full, which is 26.1% lower than they would normally be at this time of year.

Yorkshire Water’s director of water, Dave Kaye, said: “We need to take action now to help conserve water and protect Yorkshire’s environment.

“That means from Friday this week, people across Yorkshire will need to stop using their hosepipes to water their gardens, wash their cars or for any other activities.

“Introducing these restrictions is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we’ve been doing everything we can to avoid having to put them in place.”

Yorkshire residents will still be able to wash their car and water their gardens using tap water from a bucket or watering can, while businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.

In a statement, Yorkshire Water said: “This will help our region’s reservoir levels recover and protect Yorkshire’s water resources throughout the summer months, following one of the driest springs on record and the region being in drought.

“We’ve tried everything possible to avoid these restrictions, and despite our customers’ help to save water where they can and our efforts to manage water resources, including adding an extra 100 people to our leakage team and upgrading our infrastructure to reduce leaks and bursts, the dry weather and warmer-than-usual temperatures have increased demand.”

The Environment Agency declared a drought in Yorkshire on June 12, following the driest spring for 132 years. The agency had previously declared drought status in the northwest of England in May.

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