Yorkshire Water says why they are lifting the hosepipe ban today
After what seems like weeks of incessant rain, Yorkshire Water has today lifted its hosepipe ban affecting over 5.5 million households.
The ban was introduced five months ago on 11 July, after reservoirs dropped to just 30%, following the driest spring in 132 years and a record-breaking warm summer.
It will now be up to the Environment Agency, to decide whether to move Yorkshire out of drought status – a move expected today.
Yorkshire Water said reservoir levels now stood at 91.6%, while Hull aquifer levels are at 77% – an above average figure for this time of year, meaning restrictions can safely be lifted.
The grid system which moves water around the region and people using less water prevented reservoirs getting even lower.
A leak was repaired, the water firm says, every 25 minutes between April and December.
The hosepipe ban saved around 3.1 billion litres of water, the equivalent of 69 days of York’s average usage.
Yorkshire Water’s director of water and wastewater Dave Kaye said work would continue to manage water carefully, to meet growing demand in an increasingly challenging climate.