Is The Yorkshire Hosepipe Ban Ending Soon? Here’s Why Rain Isn’t Enough

After months of dry skies and thirsty gardens, the rain finally came. But before you think it’s safe to pull out the paddling pool and sprinkler again, hang tight. Yorkshire Water says it’s not quite time to relax. Yes, the weekend showers helped, but the hosepipe ban is still firmly in place.

For anyone wondering why your neighbour still can’t wash their car without a bucket, here’s what’s really going on, and why a few days of downpour just isn’t enough to fix it.

A weekend of rain helped, but not nearly enough

Let’s be honest, Yorkshire’s weather can be all over the place. One minute you’re in a heatwave, the next you’re in a soggy queue for fish and chips. This past weekend (mid-July), the skies finally opened up and gave parts of the region more than 20mm of rainfall. Good news, right?

Well, sort of.

According to Dave Kaye, Yorkshire Water’s director of water, “one weekend is not going to improve things to a level where reservoir stocks recover.” In other words, we’d need a lot more of that rain, and we’d need it to keep coming.

To give you an idea, reservoirs are only 49.1% full. That might sound like half-full optimism, but it’s way below the usual 77.8% average for this time of year. So while the rain helped slow the drop, falling at just 1.8% this past week instead of more, it hasn’t been the magical fix.

Why we’re still under a hosepipe ban

If you’re thinking, “But it’s raining! Why can’t we use hosepipes again?”, you’re not alone.

The hosepipe ban, introduced due to months of dry weather, is sticking around because the last five months have all had below-average rainfall. That’s a long time for reservoirs to slowly drain while we all keep watering plants and filling paddling pools. And yes, those small things really add up.

Yorkshire Water still supplies 1.2 billion litres of water every day. That’s a lot of water, and when there’s less rain to top it back up, every drop used matters.

Even though the rain did make it to the reservoirs (which is key), it’s not enough to make Yorkshire Water drop restrictions. What it has done is allow them to pump a bit more from rivers and groundwater, so the reservoirs don’t get drained as quickly. But it’s a balancing act.

Local flash floods are making things more confusing

To make things even stranger, parts of Yorkshire, like Acomb in York, have seen flash flooding. On Monday afternoon (22 July), fire crews were called out to Front Street after heavy rain overwhelmed the drains. Roads were covered in water, and businesses had to deal with flooded entrances.

So, on one hand, you've got dry reservoirs and a hosepipe ban. On the other, you’ve got emergency crews dealing with sudden floods. It feels backwards, but it makes sense when you break it down.

Flash floods happen when heavy rain falls fast, and the ground (especially if it’s super dry or already saturated) just can’t absorb it quick enough. So it runs straight into drains, often overwhelming them. This water usually doesn’t reach the reservoirs, it just rushes off streets and into rivers, then out to sea.

So sadly, even when it floods, the reservoirs might still be running low.

What you can do instead of using a hosepipe

If you’re already missing the hosepipe, don’t worry, there are still ways to keep your garden going and stay cool:

• Use a watering can instead (old school, but it works)
• Collect rainwater in buckets or water butts, especially handy after weekends like the last one
• Reuse water from washing veggies or boiling pasta (just let it cool first!)
• Sweep paths instead of hosing them
• Let your lawn go brown, it’ll bounce back when the rain does return properly

Every small change adds up, and Yorkshire Water says customer efforts are making a big difference.

Here’s what Yorkshire Water said

“Despite the rain over the weekend and early part of this week, the hosepipe restrictions remain in place in our region,” said Dave Kaye.

“We, once again, want to thank customers for their efforts to reduce water usage by putting away the hosepipes. All these efforts help to reduce demand and protect water supplies and the environment further into the summer months.”

Quick facts

• Reservoirs are only 49.1% full, compared to the usual 77.8%
• Rainfall helped reduce the weekly drop to 1.8%
• 1.2 billion litres of water are still being supplied daily
• Hosepipe ban still in place as of 23 July 2025
• Some areas saw over 20mm of rain over the weekend
• Flash floods hit parts of York and North Yorkshire, including Acomb

So while the skies might have finally done us a favour, it’s not quite enough yet. Keep holding onto your hosepipes—and let’s hope for some steady, gentle rain soon.