Autumn Rain Ends Yorkshire Water Hosepipe Ban Wait

Yorkshire Water's hosepipe ban, implemented on July 11, persists for over five million residents, even as autumn weather arrives. This comes as Thames Water has officially lifted its own four-month restriction on July 22. The ban in Yorkshire was initially imposed to allow reservoirs to recover after the driest spring on record.

Recent rainfall has significantly boosted reservoir levels, which have risen from 80.5% to 84.6% this past week. Yorkshire Water is now working with the Environment Agency to remove drought permits, a necessary step before restrictions can be lifted, hopefully within the next few weeks. This positive trend follows a record-breaking 15% increase attributed to Storm Claudia earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Thames Water customers in parts of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Berkshire can now use hosepipes again following the recovery of groundwater levels. Southern Water also lifted its ban for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on October 31, thanks to improved rainfall and leak repair programs. All water companies encourage continued water-wise practices.