Drought status confirmed for parts of Yorkshire

The Environment Agency has confirmed that parts of Yorkshire are now officially in drought.

Mary Creagh, Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary, responding to the news, commented: “This is further bad news for water customers already worried by rising bills, which are going up 6.1% on average in the Yorkshire Water area from next month.  Lack of water could mean fruit and vegetable prices will rise, wildlife will suffer and in a worse case scenario we could see the construction and energy industries affected.

“The Environment Secretary has held 3 drought summits but seems reluctant to get a grip. She should back Labour’s proposals for new laws to help people struggling to pay their bills and stop people taking water from rivers that are running dry.“

Mary also urged customers to visit the water conservation pages on the Yorkshire Water website www.yorkshirewater.co.uk/save

The Environment Agency has issued guidance to members of the public who may notice the impact of dry weather with more frequent sightings of; distressed fish, increased algae or unusually low river flows.  Any concerns should be reported on the EA's 24 hr incident hotline 0800 80 70 60. This helps them get a clearer picture of the impact of dry conditions across Yorkshire

They have also published an online map allowing people to check out their local situation: tinyurl.com/d3v6m9m