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Local campaigners object to drought permit

Tuesday, 19 August 2025 14:32

River Wharfe at Ilkley

Ilkley Clean River Group say Yorkshire Water should not be issued with a permit which would allow it to extract 120m litres a day from the River Wharfe.

Next week the Environment Agency will decide if Yorkshire Water can implement its drought order, but the group says the river level is already shockingly low and is threatening the wildlife populations.

The group says the company should ‘fix its own infrastructure’ claiming that YW ‘currently leaks 260m litres of water a day from its mismanaged and neglected crumbling pipes.’

Prof Becky Malby from Ilkley Clean River Group said:

"The regulators must hold Yorkshire water to account for not maintaining its pipes and infrastructure, requiring urgent and rapid action from Yorkshire Water to stop leaks and ensure it has the capacity to do its job.

“Beyond resorting to legal restrictions on water usage through a hosepipe ban Yorkshire Water has done nothing to prepare for this water shortage, taking no responsibility to support the public to conserve water, and has made no plans to store and conserve water across its network. This is an abject failure of planning.”

Customers of Yorkshire Water have been subject to a hosepipe ban since 11 July 2025.

[River Wharfe at Lobwood above Addingham]

Yorkshire Water says:

“We have two abstraction licences from the River Wharfe at Lobwood and Arthington and is supported by Grimwith Reservoir. The water abstracted at Lobwood is pumped to Chelker reservoir which supports water production at Chellow WTW, which supplies Bradford and the surrounding areas.

“As a result of the low rainfall our reservoirs are below average for the time of year and there is a risk to security of supply if we do not take action to conserve reservoir stocks as much as possible. We are applying for drought permits to conserve supplies in reservoirs in case the dry weather continues.”

Karen Shackleton from Ilkley Clean River Group added:

"The CEO of Yorkshire Water has spent far too much time managing wealth generation for Kelda Holdings and not enough time managing Yorkshire Water."

A decision on the application is expected next week.

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