Hosepipe ban is lifted after heavy rain sees water levels recover

CUSTOMERS THANKED FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO SAVE WATER

- By MARK PAGE

THE hosepipe ban that has been in place for households in Yorkshire for the past five months is being lifted today.

Restrictions were introduced on July 11 following the "driest spring in 132 years and a record-breaking warm summer".

Months of low rainfall saw reservoir and Hull aquifer levels drop significantly, prompting Yorkshire Water to introduce the restrictions.

These have seen households across the region banned from using hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools.

Those ignoring the restrictions could have faced fines of up to £1,000 but, at the time restrictions were introduced, Yorkshire Water said "we hope it won't come to that."

The rules did not apply to businesses where hosepipe use is "directly related to the use of water for commercial purposes" or to blue badge holders, those on Yorkshire Water's Priority Services Register or WaterSure tariff for medical reasons.

The company says the hosepipe ban helped save around 3.1 billion litres of water, which is equivalent to Hull's average usage over 36 days.