Yorkshire Water is urging its customers to use water wisely in gardens during the prolonged spell of dry weather.
But the advice has sparked a backlash from customers who have seen thousands of gallons lost in multiple water main bursts in York over recent weeks.
Yorkshire has experienced its driest combined February, March and April for 90 years and the company says “it is important everyone uses water wisely and saves water where possible”.
Reservoir levels are lower (76%) than the average for this time of year (90%).
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “Saving water is important all year round. By reducing water use, customers can cut down on water and energy bills, as well as helping to protect the environment by keeping reservoirs and rivers topped up.
“The hot weather in recent weeks has led to an increase in water usage with an additional 80 million litres provided each day by Yorkshire Water, which is the equivalent of Harrogate and York’s daily usage.”
Ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, it has offered these tips to reduce water usage in the garden:
- Don’t bother watering your lawn this weekend, it’ll bounce back as soon as it rains
- Using a watering can instead of a hose is an easy way to save water. You can save even more by watering plants with leftover water from the washing up bowl
- Keep on top of pesky weeds in your garden – they grow quickly and compete with your plants for valuable moisture
- Water your plants early in the morning, or in the evening, so that water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day before your plants get chance to soak it up
- Adding a layer of leaves, bark or compost over your flower bed helps to retain moisture and reduce the need for watering.
However, some customers have pointed out that Yorkshire Water itself could save water by updating a pipe network which has failed multiple times in York in recent weeks.
One said on Facebook: “Yorkshire Water lost 94.9bn litres through leaking pies in 2023-24.
“Maybe fix that first before you lecture us on how to save water, it’s what we have been paying you to do for decades in case you were wondering.”
Another said: “Maybe invest more in the pipe network than your shareholders’ payouts, before you start lecturing your paying customers on water usage.”
Yorkshire Water customers will see an average bill increase of £135 (29%) in 2025-26.
In response, Yorkshire Water said: “We understand that it’s not all down to our customers to save water, and we’re really grateful for your help. Our colleagues are working hard, finding and fixing leaks as quickly as they can to save as much water as possible.”