Water Supply Company in UK's Yorkshire Bans Hosepipe Watering From August 26 Over Droughts

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK water supply company Yorkshire Waters on Friday announced a temporary hosepipe ban in the kingdom's largest country of Yorkshire starting August 26 as many parts of the country continue to experience drought conditions triggered by abnormally hot temperatures.

"A hosepipe ban is coming on 26 August, but we're asking customers to put their hosepipes down to help save water now," the company said on the website.

The ban stipulates that citizens will be prohibited from watering a garden or plants, cleaning vehicles or boats, walls or windows of domestic premises, filling swimming pools, and drawing water for domestic recreational use while using a hosepipe.

Exemptions will be made for watering food crops, newly laid turf and seeds for 28 days, grass roofs, cleaning animals and their areas, those disabled for medical reasons, and Priority Services customers. Moreover, businesses that require the use of hosepipes for commercial purposes will also be exempted from the ban.

"Parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since our records began more than 130 years ago. The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20% lower than we would expect for this time of year. We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning," Neil Dewis, Yorkshire Water’s director of water, said in a statement on the website.

Citizens will be subject to a 1,000-pound ($1,217) personal fine should they violate the ban.

According to UK broadcaster Sky News, the ban will affect over 5 million people.

Similar bans were enforced in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on August 5. The ban will go into effect in Kent and Sussex on Friday and in Pembrokeshire and Wales on August 19.

The United Kingdom faced an abnormal heat wave in July, with the temperature reaching a record-high of 40.3 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 19.