YORKSHIRE Water has finally lifted its hosepipe ban after a rainy autumn - even though the region is still considered to be 'within drought' by the Environment Agency.

The ban was introduced on August 26 after a hot, dry summer had left reservoirs less than half full.

York was included in the ban, even though much of its water comes from the River Ouse, which never runs dry even in long droughts.

A company spokesperson said today the temporary restrictions could now be lifted thanks to “everyone’s efforts to save water” and a wetter than average autumn.

They said the ban had helped to save an average of 28 million litres per day, which took pressure off its reservoirs and allowed them to hold as much water as possible.

Director of water Neil Dewis said he was 'really grateful' to customers for their efforts to save water whilst the weather was drier than usual.

"Thanks to a number of emergency drought schemes, drought permits, increased leakage activity, rainfall, and everyone’s efforts to save water, reservoirs are now looking much healthier – with the average level across the region now at 75 per cent," he said.

The spokesperson said that in September, Yorkshire Water enlisted Galliford Try to lay 2km of overland pipe across moorland to connect Walshaw Dean Upper reservoir in Calderdale with Ponden reservoir in the Worth Valley, in order to transfer water and balance stocks.

"The drought scheme helped the reservoir levels to increase from 20 per cent to around 80 per cent," they said.

"The water company also increased its leakage activity in reaction to the warm dry weather – hiring additional leakage technicians and introducing a seven-day working pattern helped the company to fix leaks twice as quickly."

They said Yorkshire Water was on track to reduce leakage by more than 9% this year, bringing it closer to its goal of 15 per cent reduction by 2025.

Neil said that as had been seen this year, climate change was making weather patterns more extreme and Yorkshire Water had recently submitted its latest draft water resource management plan to the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

"The document predicts future water use, weather patterns, and sets out our action plan to reduce the likelihood of future restrictions and ensure we can continue to meet demand over the next 60 years.

"We’d welcome feedback from customers and other stakeholders on our draft plan, which can be viewed on our website at https://www.yorkshirewater.com/about-us/resources/water-resources-management-plan/

 “Whilst the hosepipe ban is no longer in place, it’s really important that we all continue to save water where we can. Adopting small habits like reusing grey water or installing a water butt will save water and energy, helping to reduce bills and protect the environment."