Yorkshire Water has started a campaign to get people to save supplies, despite record-breaking rainfall last month.

The company has said most of its reservoirs in the district have been left “full to over-flowing” after being replenished with an extra 12 billion litres of water in April.

But borehole levels are still far from healthy as a consequence of the driest 20 months since records began. In February, Yorkshire Water’s boreholes in the east of the region were 20 per cent lower than would normally be expected.

As a result, the Bradford-based company has been drawing less on them and instead sourcing water from northern and central parts of the region, using its £300 million underground grid to move about 20 million litres of water a day to the east, where it was most needed.

Last month’s rain went some way to replenishing borehole stocks, but the company has stressed many more weeks of sustained rainfall would be needed to get them back to healthy levels.

Ian Stevens, the company’s water resources manager, said: “We’re continuing to work hard to manage and balance stocks across the region, with our message to customers remaining the same as ever: only use what you need, and be sensible around how you use what is a very precious resource.”

The company will this month visit cities and towns across the region to offer free water-saving gadgets.