Sheffield Public Notices: Yorkshire Water targets rivers to avert 'serious' shortage
River levels in South Yorkshire are set to drop after Yorkshire Water applied for drought permits due to the ‘threat of a serious water shortage’.
The business wants to cut releases from seven reservoirs to conserve drinking water due to ‘an exceptional shortage of rain’.
It wants to reduce the flow into rivers including the Don by as much as half, according to a Notice of Application for Drought Permits on the Public Notice Portal.
If approved by the Environment Agency, downstream flow would be cut for up to six months from Scout Dike, Underbank, Langsett, Damflask, Dale Dike, More Hall and Rivelin reservoirs.
As well as the Don, watercourses affected would include the River Rivelin, the Little Don, River Loxley and Ewden Beck.
Last week, Yorkshire Water said reservoir levels were 44.7 per cent, “well below” the average of 75.9 per cent for this time of year.
The public notice states Yorkshire Water has carried out an assessment of ‘potential environmental impacts’ resulting from the drought permits.
And it has drawn up an environmental monitoring plan and ‘mitigation measures’ to reduce the impact on wildlife and plants downstream.
It adds: “The anticipated effect of the proposed drought permits, if granted, will be to reduce the rate of draw down on reservoirs in the South Yorkshire Area. This will aid winter refill and conserve stocks for public water supply.
“However, it will mean compensation flow from the reservoirs to the watercourses can be provided for longer than if the compensation releases continued at the current rates.”
The firm previously said a hosepipe ban introduced on July 11 was set to continue into winter.
Public notices for your area can be found online here.