Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban to stay despite heavy rain
Forecasts suggest more rain is on the way in the coming days
Yorkshire’s hosepipe restrictions are set to remain in place - even after the region was hit by heavy downpours.
Forecasts suggest more rain is on the way in the coming days, but Yorkshire Water says it won’t be enough to replenish supplies after the county endured its driest spring in more than a century.
August is also expected to fall well below average rainfall, making it the seventh month in a row with lower than normal levels.
Reservoir stocks have been dropping since January and currently sit at just 35.8 per cent, compared with a long-term average of more than seventy per cent.
Groundwater in East Yorkshire is also being badly affected by the prolonged dry spell.
Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said much of the recent rain is being absorbed by plants and parched ground instead of reaching reservoirs.
He warned restrictions could remain into winter as the company plans ahead to protect supplies into 2026.
He added that efforts by customers to cut usage, alongside leakage reduction and drought permits, are helping to protect water stocks so that everyone has the supplies they need.