One of Britain’s largest unions has slammed Yorkshire Water’s “outrageous” county-wide hosepipe ban - set to begin today.

Friday, 11 July 2025 14:00

By Dylan Connell

Deanne Ferguson, the GMB union’s organiser for Yorkshire, said people in the region are “being punished while profits flow and pollution pours out”.

Yorkshire Water has said the restrictions, which come into effect today (Friday, July 11), are needed to protect supplies in the face of more dry weather forecast in the coming weeks.

But Ms Ferguson said the water restrictions came after Yorkshire Water “lost 95 billion litres of water through leaks last year”. “That’s 260 million litres wasted every single day,” she said. “Meanwhile, they've [Yorkshire Water] dumped hundreds of thousands of hours’ worth of sewage into our rivers and coastlines.

“Bills are rocketing, infrastructure is crumbling, and investment is nowhere to be seen.

“For Yorkshire Water to now impose a hosepipe is outrageous."

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