Heat leads to hosepipe ban
Yorkshire Water has announced its first hosepipe ban for more than 27 years, due to the extended period of dry weather and extreme heat.
The decision was made after parts of Yorkshire reported the lowest rainfall since company records began more than 130 years ago, with the ban set to come into effect from August 26 – with no end date announced.
Households in Scarborough will be banned from using a hosepipe to water gardens and plants, clean cars or boats, fill paddling pools or clean patios.
Neil Dewis, Yorkshire Water’s director, said: “We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning.
“We’re grateful to our customers, who have been saving water where they can this summer. It is really important that we all continue to do so, to help protect our water resources and the environment.”
Anyone found to have breached the hosepipe ban could receive a fine of up to £1,000.
Mr Dewis said the hot and dry weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and the county’s reservoirs are around 20 per cent lower than expected for this time of year.
“We’ve now reached that trigger point,” he said.
“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.”
Introducing the ban allows Yorkshire Water to apply for drought permits from the Environment Agency, which allows it to take more water from rivers. Residents can continue to use tap water from a bucket or watering can and businesses can use hosepipes for commercial reasons.
The North York Moors National Park has implemented bans on visitors using disposable barbecues and has warned people to be vigilant when disposing of cigarettes and glass bottles.