Demand surge

• Increase is enough to supply the equivalent of the whole of Bradford*
• Yorkshire Water shares top water saving tips 

Yorkshire Water is encouraging customers to save water, as high temperatures have caused a surge in usage. 

The increase, of 130 million litres per day, is enough to supply the equivalent of the whole of Bradford, which has a population of more than 550,000 people.  

With the weather forecast remaining hot and dry for the rest of the week, water usage could rise further, nearing last year’s record breaking peak of 1.56 billion litres used per day in Yorkshire.  

Warm, dry weather can also cause difficult ground conditions for underground pipes, causing them to crack and leak more than usual. Yorkshire Water’s 250 leakage inspectors use specialist equipment to find and fix the small leaks on its network to save as much water as possible and get them fixed before they worsen.  

The water company is using its network of pipes to move water around the region and balance its reservoir stocks – which are currently higher than this time last year, but slightly below their usual level, at 82%. 

Yorkshire Water’s top warm weather water tips include:   

Pool your ideas 

If you’re splashing about in the paddling pool, then be savvy with your water – either cover the pool with a fitted bed sheet at the end of the day, so that you can reuse the water and avoid catching any flies or reuse the water by filling your watering can up from the pool and giving your plants a nice drink at the end of the day!   

Perfect plants   

Don’t worry about watering your plants during the day – most of the water will evaporate with the heat of the sun, so save it till the evening when it’s nice and cool and your plants can soak it all up.    

Cool down   

A nice quick cool shower can be a wonderful treat on a hot day! Use our playlist of four-minute songs to try and stick to a short shower.  

Emily Brady of Yorkshire Water said: “It is really important that we all do our best to save water, especially when it’s hot and dry. When lots of people use more water at the same time it can drain our system quicker than we can get water back into the pipes. By being mindful of how much water you use it leaves more in the network for other people to use.  

“We’re encouraging everyone to be mindful of their water use and save it where they can – whether that’s with a four-minute shower, reusing water to feed plants or choosing a watering can over a hose. For more water saving tips, go to www.yorkshirewater.com/save.” 

*130 ml/d increase is:  

Enough to supply Bradford  

or 

Almost enough to supply Hull  

or 

Enough to supply Harrogate, York and surrounding areas  

or 

More than enough to supply the whole of Doncaster