Yorkshire Water: Drought declared by Environmental Agency after 'warmest spring' since records began
A drought has been declared across Yorkshire by the Environment Agency.
Yorkshire Water reservoir stocks dropped 0.51 per cent over the last week to 62.3 per cent and the utility is reminding customers to continue saving water where possible, as the Environment Agency declared the region in drought today (Thursday, June 12).
According to the Met Office, spring 2025 was also Yorkshire’s warmest spring for mean temperature since records began in 1884.
The declaration of drought in Yorkshire does not immediately impact customers in the region, and Yorkshire Water will continue its efforts to reduce leakage, manage water resources and continue to help customers reduce demand.
Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said: “We've seen water demand decrease in recent weeks thanks to the welcome rainfall and the efforts of our customers to save water.
“We had one of the driest springs on record, which has impacted our reservoir levels, meaning they are much lower than normal for this time of year. Without significant rainfall in the coming months, temporary usage restrictions are a possibility.
“The declaration of drought does not immediately change things for our customers. We’ll be continuing to work closely with the Environment Agency and will be working hard to carefully manage our resources and move water around the region to areas that need it most.”
Recent rainfall has meant the region has now seen 62 per cent of long-term average rainfall in June. Despite demand of 1.3 billion litres per day, reservoir levels fell by 0.51 per cent this week, compared to previous sustained weekly drops of 3 per cent.
Currently, reservoir stocks are at 62.3 per cent - still significantly below the average (85.5 per cent) for this time of year.
Customers' efforts to use water wisely and the recent rainfall has helped to stabilise reservoir levels in Yorkshire in recent weeks, but with warm and dry weather forecast, and long-range forecasts suggesting a greater-than-normal chance of a hot summer, customers are reminded to continue saving water where they can.
Water can be saved at home by:
- Checking if you have a leaky loo by looking and listening for trickling water between flushes – they can waste up to 400 litres a day
- Hold off doing your washing until you have a full load for the machine and using the eco setting if you have one
- Use mulch and bark in your garden to reduce water evaporation by 75% and keep the moisture in the soil, and keep on top of weeds that take water from your plants
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth – this can save 10 litres every time