A hosepipe ban across Leeds has been announced by Yorkshire Water, coming into place later this month, as the city experiences the lowest rainfall in more than 130 years.
Yorkshire Water has announced it will introduce a hosepipe ban across Leeds and Yorkshire from August 26, meaning certain activities such as watering your garden using a hosepipe could land you a £1,000 fine. The ban comes just weeks after the country hit record breaking temperatures.
The hot, dry, weather and lack of rainfall means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and reservoirs are around 20 per cent lower than usual. The ban means Yorkshire Water can abstract more water from rivers and reduce flows out of reservoirs.
Read more: Live Yorkshire heatwave updates as Met Office 'extreme' amber heat warning comes into force
Yorkshire Water is putting a hosepipe ban in place from August 26 2022, which will mean certain activities are banned. Scroll down to see the list of banned activities.
What you can't do under the ban
- Water a garden using a hosepipe
- Clean a private vehicle using a hosepipe
- Water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
- Clean a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
- Fill or maintain a domestic swimming or paddling pool
- Draw water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
- Fill or maintain a domestic pond using a hosepipe
- Fill or maintain an ornamental fountain
- Clean walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe
- Clean paths or patios using a hosepipe
- Clean other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe
Customers can still carry out these activities if they use water from a bucket or watering can, or use water that is not sourced from the mains such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe, or private boreholes for example. Businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.
There are restrictions on using a hosepipe if not for those essential commercial needs – so using a hosepipe to clean a path outside a business property, for example, would not be allowed. Blue badge holders, those on Yorkshire Water’s Priority Services register or WaterSure tariff for medical reasons are also excluded from the ban.
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