More water in pipeline for county as drought threatens

Yorkshire Water is piping in millions of litres of drinking water to East Yorkshire as the prospect of drought draws closer.

Two dry winters have left groundwater supplies in the east at 20 per cent of their normal levels and Yorkshire Water is using its £300m grid of underground pipes to move water from northern and central regions where it is more plentiful.

Seven other water firms – including Anglian which supplies Lincolnshire – announced yesterday that they were bringing in hosepipe bans from April 5, affecting as many as 20 million customers, in the face of a “severe” drought.

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The Environment Agency said there was a “moderate” risk of the drought, which has gripped the South East and East Anglia, spreading to South and East Yorkshire if the dry weather continues. It said two groundwater-fed rivers, the Hull and the Derwent, were low.

Last year Yorkshire recorded 90 per cent of average rainfall, and 2010 was even drier. The Met Office said Yorkshire had less than half its average rainfall last month – and the forecast for the coming 30 days is for the dry weather to continue, bar the odd few days of rain.

Yorkshire Water said it had no plans to bring in restrictions on customers, but was monitoring the situation closely.

Anglian Water, which is imposing its first hosepipe ban for more than 20 years, said the move was the “most sensible and responsible action” to safeguard customer supplies this year and beyond.

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Managing director Peter Simpson said: “Our region has had its driest 18 months for a century, including two dry winters which have robbed us of the rainfall we need to refill rivers, reservoirs and aquifers.”