A hosepipe ban will come into force in Yorkshire following the driest spring on record and could last until the winter, water chiefs confirmed.
Yorkshire Water says the ban will come into force on Friday (July 11) to protect water supplies after the region experienced its driest and warmest spring on record.
A mere 15cm of rainfall between February and June, less than half expected, leading the Environment Agency to declare a drought in June.
Yorkshire Water's director of water, Dave Kaye, said: "We need to take action now to help conserve water and protect Yorkshire's environment.
"That means from Friday this week, people across Yorkshire will need to stop using their hosepipes to water their gardens, wash their cars or for any other activities.
"Introducing these restrictions is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we’ve been doing everything we can to avoid having to put them in place.
"Usually, spring is a time when our groundwater sources and reservoirs continue to be topped-up by changeable weather, but this has not been the case in 2025, with our reservoir stocks falling since the last week of January.
"The restrictions will come into effect on 11 July and will be in place until the region has seen significant rainfall to bring reservoirs and groundwater stocks back to where they need to be.
"This may last into the winter months, but we will lift the usage restrictions as soon as we are able."
Using a hosepipe to water a garden, clean private car or boats, fill or maintaining swimming or paddling pools, and clean walls or windows of domestic premises.
People can still wash their cars and water their gardens without a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can, or use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water or rainwater from a water butt.
Businesses can use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.
However, there are restrictions on using a hosepipe if not for those essential commercial needs.
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Blue badge holders and those on Yorkshire Water’s Priority Services Register or WaterSure tariff for medical reasons are also excluded from the restrictions.
Sustained hot weather has led to increased water demand, with an additional 4.3 billion litres supplied between April and June, enough to supply the city of Leeds for five weeks.
It means Yorkshire's reservoirs are currently at 55.8 per cent, 26.1 per cent lower than usual for this time of year.
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