A BRADFORD MP says Yorkshire Water should "hang its head in shame" for imposing a hosepipe ban which started today (Friday).

The water company introduced the new restrictions for Yorkshire to combat reservoir water levels that have been dropping due to lack of rainfall.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The low water levels at Doe Park Reservoir at Denholme The low water levels at Doe Park Reservoir at Denholme

Shipley MP Philip Davies said: “Yorkshire Water should be hanging their heads in shame about introducing a hosepipe ban.

“We are not short of rainfall in Yorkshire; indeed parts of my constituency suffer flooding most years.

“If we are going to have more prolonged periods of rainfall and more prolonged periods of dry weather then Yorkshire Water should ensure they have more reservoirs to ensure there is sufficient capacity over the year.

“They still preside over a large amount of leaks. This announcement is a recognition of failure on their part."

Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East, said: “In what is one of the wettest countries in Europe, it’s outrageous the failure of a deregulated water industry to invest in reservoirs and water storage, and to fix broken pipes and infrastructure that leak millions of litres of water each year, means we have to rely on hosepipe bans in order to get through the hotter months of the year.

“Instead of letting water bosses get away with failing to invest in infrastructure, we need to hold them to account both legally and financially.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A hosepipe ban for Yorkshire starts todayA hosepipe ban for Yorkshire starts today

Cllr Matt Edwards (Tong), leader of the Green Party in Bradford, said: “As Yorkshire faces a severe drought and people are asked to cut their water use, more than billions of litres of clean water is wasted every day across the country due to a network of pipes riddled with leaks.

“For every litre of water that a customer uses in our county in their house or garden, Yorkshire Water loses about the same amount through leaky pipes.

“The government needs to step in and force water companies to invest in the infrastructure to fix this problem long term.”

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said: “We have invested around £500 million and reported a 14 per cent decrease in water lost through bursts and leaks over the last five years, exceeding targets to reduce leakage set by Ofwat for the last three years.

“We have increased efforts further in reaction to the prolonged dry weather – with 550 colleagues working to tackle leaky pipes day and night.

“Enhanced monitoring and analytics makes sure we’re targeting the right areas, focusing on the largest leaks. We have worked with highways teams to complete work under emergency permits, meaning we can get the job done much quicker.

“We have already seen water usage come down since we announced the restrictions would be coming into place and appreciate the efforts of our customers to use water wisely during this drought.”

 

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