Photo courtesy of Charles Heslett, BBC News, Yorkshire
The Environment Agency has granted a drought order for the Wharfe. This will extract 120m litres a day from the river wharfe, and restrict water release from Grimwith reservoir to top up the Wharfe which is already shockingly low, threatening our wildlife populations.
Yorkshire Water currently leaks 260m litres of water a day from its mismanaged and neglected crumbling pipes. Rather than fix its own infrastructure it is planning to devastate the local environment yet again.
Yorkshire water’s performance is appalling, with its sewer ‘rehabilitation’ rate at 0.08% way below the national average; 85% of its sewage discharges are because it doesn’t have the infrastructure capacity to cope with the sewage entering the network; it has been penalised by Ofwat for mismanagement of its treatment works and downgraded by the Environment Agency for its ‘unacceptable and disappointing record’. Despite the desperate need to maintain the water system, Yorkshire Water underspent by 31% on its capital programme in the last period.
“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.” Prof Becky Malby
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.
“The CEO of Yorkshire Water has spent far too much time managing wealth generation for Kelda Holdings and not enough time managing Yorkshire Water.” Karen Shackleton
Not only is Yorkshire water polluting for profit it is now putting profit before water security.
Abstraction is a disaster for wildlife, the fish will suffocate and die as they overheat in shallow water, with drastically low oxygen levels from concentrated pollution.
Resorting to abstraction is a shocking failure in the management of our water system and we are concerned that yorkshire water is not able to deliver its responsibility to provide a resilient and safe water supply.
The BBC report is here
Notes for Editor
- The hosepipe ban for Yorkshire Water has been in place since July 11th 2025.
- Ilkley Clean River Group has been campaigning for 6 years to stop the sewage pollution of the River Wharfe
- Ilkley Clean River Group secured the first river to be awarded Bathing Status. The river is persistently rated poor water quality and the Status is up for renewal in 2025. It is likely to be renewed based on the considerable improvements to infrastructure at Addingham and Ilkley.
- The campaign has secured investment from Yorkshire Water with a new Sewer in Ilkley already installed, and new storage, reed beds, and an integrated constructed wetland, and new storage and nature based solutions upstream.
- The Wharfe is one of the most tested rivers in the country with collaborations with multiple Universities to examine chemical, nutrient and microplastic pollution.
- Ilkley Clean River Group is a founding member of The Sewage Campaign Network: a network of leading grassroots campaigners steeped in our local communities, trying to save our rivers, lakes and seas from sewage pollution; and the founders of the current massive public storm.
- Ilkley Clean River Group is a founding member of The People’s Commission on the Water Sector. A group working in parallel to the government’s commission (Cunliffe Commission) but involving the public in issues that matter to them which are not in the Cunliffe Commission’s terms of reference.
