The hosepipe ban imposed on Yorkshire Water customers could be extended to businesses as drought conditions continue, the company warned.
Five million of the firm’s customers have faced hose restrictions since 11 July, amid a prolonged spell of warm and dry weather in the UK.
Retailers and businesses such as car washes are currently exempt from the ban, but Yorkshire Water said further restrictions were a possibility with little let-up in the warm weather.
Andy Shaw, Yorkshire Water’s head of water production, said: “We are working incredibly hard to avoid the need for that.”
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said reservoir levels had not increased since January.
They said: “Normally our groundwater sources and reservoirs get topped up over spring when the weather is changeable but this year we’ve had the driest spring on record and Yorkshire is officially in drought.”
Currently, businesses are allowed to use a hosepipe if it is “directly related to the use of water for commercial purposes”.
Discussing further restrictions, Mr Shaw said: “It’s something we will follow closely in terms of how the weather conditions change [and] what the reservoir levels are like.
“It’s still an option.”
Restrictions on water use for many come after the company increased bills by almost 30% in April.
In October, the Environment Agency reported that 21% of Yorkshire Water’s supplies were lost due to leakage, higher than the national average of 19%.
“We get the fact it’s a frustrating time for customers,” said Mr Shaw.
“The increases are going towards a huge, huge investment programme we have got planned over the next five years.”
He said the programme included £8.3m of investment in “infrastructure and services to improve things like leakage and water quality”.