Yorkshire Water has applied for drought permits and orders, the company said on 31 July 2025, describing the move as the next stage of its drought plan. The application follows hosepipe restrictions that came into effect on 11 July1.
The company reported that domestic water usage across Yorkshire has fallen 10% since the restrictions began. In warm weather, 70 to 80 million litres per day have been saved, while cooler days and rainfall over the previous three weeks produced savings of approximately 35 million litres1.
Reservoir stocks nevertheless dropped 1.7% over the seven days before the announcement, taking total stocks to 47.4%. Yorkshire Water said this is well below the average of 76.5% for the time of year. The company continues to distribute over 1.2 billion litres of water every day and says its teams are repairing more than 800 leaks every week1.
The 135,000 smart meters fitted across Yorkshire have helped identify more than 2,000 properties with leaky pipework. Half of the customers informed of leaks on their property have taken steps to repair them, saving 1.5 million litres per day, according to the company1.
"The hosepipe restrictions remain in place, and we recently enacted the next stage of our drought plan, the application for drought permits and orders, to manage the water resources picture in the near and longer-term."
| Measure | Figure reported on 31 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Fall in domestic water use since 11 July | 10% |
| Daily savings in warm weather | 70 to 80 million litres |
| Daily savings in cooler, wetter weather | approximately 35 million litres |
| Reservoir stocks | 47.4%, down 1.7% in seven days |
| Seasonal average for the time of year | 76.5% |
| Water distributed daily | over 1.2 billion litres |
| Leaks repaired each week | more than 800 |
| Smart meters fitted | 135,000 |
| Properties identified with leaky pipework | more than 2,000 |
Why it matters for households
Hosepipe restrictions remain in force across Yorkshire, and the company has said it will remove them as soon as it can1. The application for drought permits and orders is a step within the statutory process by which water companies seek additional powers or sources during dry periods; the stages of that process and what each one means are set out in the guide to how drought is declared in England, and the permits, orders and emergency rota cuts themselves are explained in the guide to drought permits, orders and emergency rota cuts. Households wanting to follow what their own water company has set out can use the guide to water company drought plans, and the wider picture on heat and dry weather is covered in the heatwaves and drought section.
What happens next
Yorkshire Water said it will keep customers updated on water resources over the coming weeks and months1. No decision date for the drought permit and order applications has been reported.
Sources (1)
- yorkshirewater.com, yorkshirewater.com
Drought Permits and Rota Cuts
Water Company Drought Plans
Drought Stages in England
