Yorkshire Water admits hosepipe ban could run into 2023

The hosepipe ban has been in place since late August

Yorkshire Water has warned its five million customers the hosepipe ban could continue "well into next year".

The company imposed its first ban in 27 years on 26 August after reservoir levels fell below 50% for the first time since the drought of 1995.

Director of water Neil Dewis said while there had been "a slight reduction in demand", average levels at the region's reservoirs had dropped further, to 35%.

One West Yorkshire reservoir was only about 20% full, he said.

Yorkshire Water's director of water Neil Dewis

Mr Dewis said: "I think the hosepipe ban will remain in place for several more months and if it is a dry winter it will be there well into next year."

Anyone caught flouting the ban could be hit with a £1,000 fine.

Asked by BBC climate correspondent Paul Hudson what it would take to get levels back to where they should be, Mr Dewis replied: "The bottom line is we will have some rain this winter and reservoirs will recover.

"But Yorkshire Water is focused on next spring and summer. Because even if we get a normal amount of winter rainfall, that will only lift reservoirs up to 60 to 70% by spring.

"And if that's the case and we have another dry, hot summer, we could really face some serious consequences."

• Temporary pipe to top up drought-hit reservoirs

• Yorkshire hosepipe ban in place affecting millions

• Drought status declared across Yorkshire

Mr Dewis said it was "very unlikely" further restrictions would be needed but added there was scope to introduce a "non-essential use ban" should it prove necessary.

The industry as a whole was committed to reducing leakage by 50% by 2050, he said.

Mr Dewis added: "We're very on it at the moment, as you'd expect, and we're making very good progress."