Yorkshire Water issues advice ahead of hosepipe ban across the county

Parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since records began more than 130 years ago. The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and reservoirs are lower than expected for this time of year.

The hosepipe ban starts on Friday, August 26 and activities covered by the ban include –

Watering a garden using a hosepipe

Cleaning vehicles or boats using a hosepipe

Watering plants with a hosepipe

Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool

Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use

Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe

Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe

Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

Martyn Hattersley, head of demand management at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our customers understand the challenge we’re currently facing and whilst we’re increasing efforts to save as much water as possible from leaky pipes, our customers are doing their bit to save water at home too. There are some really easy tips you can adopt to save water – such as keeping your showers short or reusing grey water to feed your plants.

“A huge thank you to our customers who are using water wisely. By reducing the amount of water used, we can help to keep as much water in reservoirs as possible and protect the environment. As the ground is incredibly dry at the moment, we would need a few months of wet weather to help them return to their usual levels, so it’s really important that people keep taking steps to save water.”

Yorkshire Water has issued their top five ways of saving water during the hosepipe ban –

Reuse and recycle - Whilst you wait for your shower to warm up, pop a bucket under the water to catch what would’ve been wasted water – and use it elsewhere in your house. It’s great for watering plants or doing the dishes with. If you don’t want to use it straight away, pop it in your rain butt and save it for another day.Leaky loo losses - Almost one in ten households have a leaky loo. The average toilet leak loses around eight litres of water every hour, which adds up to over two baths a day, or 876 baths a year per household.Love your brown lawn - When there’s prolonged dry weather, grass can start to look brown – but don’t fear, grass is one of the most resilient plants you can have in your garden, and it doesn’t need to be watered. When the rain does come, it’ll bounce right back to a vibrant green once again.Sing while you save - Keeping showers short is a great way to reduce water use. Yorkshire Water have created a playlist – with everything from Bon Jovi and Blur to S Club 7 – which is comprised of four-minute songs to help you time your shower.Mucky motors - Washing the car can waste hundreds of litres of water – just cleaning the mirrors, windows and lights with a bucket of soapy water helps to save on the amount you use.