Yorkshire Water issues warning on deep mud dangers as reservoir levels drop due to dry spell

The water company has more than 30 reservoirs across the region, including Eccup Reservoir to the north of Leeds.

It promotes the public footpaths around its reservoirs as destinations for an afternoon stroll or more challenging hike, but is now having to remind people that this does not extend to walking onto exposed areas of the reservoirs themselves.

It comes after emergency services have been called out to rescue people who have chosen to venture off the paths and then found themselves in difficulty.

Sharing a safety warning on Facebook, the company said: “You might've noticed if you've been to our reservoirs recently that the dry weather has left some areas of the reservoir that are usually underwater, exposed.

"There is a danger of deep mud in these areas and we've already had incidents this summer when emergency services have attended our sites to rescue people who walked into deep mud.

“If you're visiting, please stick to the public footpaths and don't take any risks by entering the exposed areas of the reservoirs or the water.”

On Friday, Yorkshire Water became the fifth company in England and Wales to announce a hosepipe ban.

The company, which has more than five million customers, said that restrictions will come into effect from Friday August 26.

Neil Dewis, its director of water, said parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since its records began more than 130 years ago.

He said: “The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20 per cent lower than we would expect for this time of year. We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but, unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning.”

Under the restrictions, customers are banned from using a hosepipe to water their gardens, clean their vehicles, fill their swimming pools or clean their homes.

However, can still complete those activities with tap water from a bucket or watering can, or using water that is not sourced from taps.

Businesses will only be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.