The first hosepipe ban for this year has come into effect.
Yorkshire Water has put restrictions in place across the region in an effort to protect water supplies.
In a report earlier this year, the Environment Agency (EA) said England as a whole is facing huge public water shortages unless “urgent action” is taken.
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It warned that the country faces a five-billion-litre-a-day shortfall for public water supplies by 2055 due to climate change, population growth, and environmental pressures.
So what areas come under the new hosepipe ban, and how likely is it that it will be implemented elsewhere in the UK?
Restrictions that have come into effect
Yorkshire Water’s hosepipe ban – officially called a Temporary Usage Ban (TUB) – affects any property that the company supplies with water.
The company said the ban does not apply to customers who receive wastewater services from Yorkshire Water, but clean water supply from another supplier like Severn Trent.
Restrictions are due to be in place until groundwater stocks are back to where they need to be.
In its guidance, Yorkshire Water says it “can’t say for certain” how long this will take, as it depends on when the region receives significant rainfall, returning its reservoir levels to “a situation much closer to normal”.
Anyone who breaches the ban without permission from the water company could be fined up to £1,000.
Yorkshire Water director Dave Kaye said that by putting restrictions in place, the company can apply for drought permits from the EA.
The permits allow the company to start taking more water from rivers and reduce flows out of the region’s reservoirs – which are 26.1% lower than they normally would be at this time of year.
What does the ban mean?
The ban means customers are prohibited from using hosepipes for things like watering a garden, filling a paddling pool, cleaning paths and patios or washing a car.
Instead, they are being encouraged to use a watering can or bucket. Businesses are allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.
Announcing the ban, Yorkshire Water’s Mr Kaye said: “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.”
In May, Yorkshire and the northwest of England officially entered drought after the driest spring in 132 years.
From February to June, Yorkshire received just 15cm of rain, less than half what is expected in an average year.
Could a ban be introduced elsewhere in the UK?
The North East, East Anglia and the West Midlands are also experiencing prolonged dry weather.
Bosses at the UK’s biggest water company, Thames Water, have warned that a hosepipe ban could also be coming for its 16 million customers in the southeast of England.
In a statement in July, the company said there was a “heightened concern and risk of drought” in the Thames area and that “ongoing dry weather and increased customer demand” were affecting its supplies.
“Unless the situation changes significantly, we’ll need to put in place usage restrictions,” it warned. “This includes a hosepipe ban, to ensure taps keep running for customers’ essential use.”
It added: “We’re doing everything we can behind the scenes to protect supplies. This includes fixing leaks, managing our network, and preparing for all scenarios.”
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The last hosepipe ban before now was implemented by South East Water in June 2023, affecting people in Kent and Sussex.
The country also experienced drought and record heatwaves in 2022 when five water companies imposed a hosepipe ban on a total of 19 million customers to ensure drinking and wastewater services were prioritised.
Easy ways to cut water usage
While the EA is urging water companies to manage demand and reduce water leaks, it has also issued advice to the public on how to limit their water use. Its tips include:
• Shortening showers
• Turning off taps when brushing teeth
• Using full loads for washing machines and dishwashers
• Collecting rainwater for garden use
• Deleting old emails to reduce pressure on data centre servers.
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Water UK, the trade association for the water industry, said customers can start to help leave more water in the environment by making small changes at home and in the garden.
These changes can include:
• Reusing water in paddling pools
• Use a scum ball in a home hot tub or spa to prevent the development of scum lines or foaming
• Using a bucket to wash cars, or only washing the windscreen and mirrors on the vehicle
• Keeping a jug of water in the fridge, so there is no need to run the tap until it turns cold.
