A utility firm has been told it can conserve water in 19 reservoirs in a move aimed at preserving supplies during an ongoing drought.
The Environment Agency said it had granted Yorkshire Water drought permits for each of the reservoirs, which will last for six months and result in a reduction in water released into rivers.
Yorkshire households have been subject to a hosepipe ban since 11 July, following the start of what was later confirmed to be the UK’s hottest summer on record.
Yorkshire Water said the permits were the “next essential step to protect water supplies for our customers”.
Under normal conditions, a certain amount of water from reservoirs is released into local rivers to maintain river health.
The permits will allow Yorkshire Water to reduce the amount released, although the company is still obliged to maintain “necessary environmental protection” for the rivers.
Claire Barrow, Yorkshire drought manager at the Environment Agency, said water supplies would “continue to decline” without more “sustained” wet weather over winter.
“These permits will allow Yorkshire Water’s reservoir stocks to remain for longer, so protects that level of public supply,” she said.
“We only issue a permit if we are content that there are clear plans in place to mitigate any impact on the environment, along with strong evidence from Yorkshire Water of their ongoing commitment to reduce leaks and improve water efficiency.”
Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said: “Applying for these drought permits is not a decision we’ve made lightly, but it is the next essential step to protect water supplies for our customers and to protect the environment after an extremely dry year so far.”