Yorkshire Water

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Yorkshire Water Ltd.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Water industry
Founded1974
Headquarters Bradford, England
Area served
 Yorkshire
Key people
Products
Production output
  • 1.3 Gl/day (drinking)
  • 1.0 Gl/day (recycled)
Revenue£1.1 billion (2020–2021) [3]
Number of employees
2,500
Parent Kelda Group
Website yorkshirewater.com

Yorkshire Water is a British water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten regional water authorities created by the Water Act 1973, and privatised under the terms of the Water Act 1989, when Yorkshire Water plc, the parent company of the Yorkshire Water business, was floated on the London Stock Exchange. The parent company was Kelda Group in 1999. [4] In February 2008, Kelda Group was bought by a consortium of infrastructure funds.

Contents

It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.

Area

The company's area includes West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire. The area is adjoined on the north by that of Northumbrian Water, on the west by United Utilities, on the south west by Severn Trent Water and on the south by Anglian Water. [5] [6] It serves 5.5 million households and 140,000 business customers, [7] [8] and owns over 28,000 hectares (69,000 acres) of land. [9]

Environmental record

Yorkshire Water has received fines for breaches of environmental law. For example:

Performance

In June 1996, Yorkshire Water was effectively fined £40 million by the regulator, Ofwat, by freezing their ability to raise bills for customers. This was a result of what Ofwat described as a "failure to deliver the standards required to consumers". [15] This fine was a result of being the most hated water company during the "year of the drought" (1995). [16] However, Yorkshire Water's performance had turned around so much so that the company was awarded the title by Utility Week magazine three years in succession while no other water company has won it more than once." [17] The company has been criticised (2022) for losing 283 million litres of water a day due to leakages. The company says that this is a 50% reduction on the period 1995/96. [3]

1992 Sludge tip blocks River Colne, Huddersfield

A landslip of sewage sludge engulfed a sewage works at Huddersfield in 1992. Almost 20,000 tonnes (20,000 long tons; 22,000 short tons) of sewage slipped from its Deighton waste tip on to the plant, and completely blocked 490 feet (150 m) of the River Colne. The disaster also forced the closure of a nearby ICI plant. [18]

1995 Year of Drought

For months between September 1995 and January 1996 reservoirs in the west side of the region ran dry, and water had to be taken by (up to) 700 tankers (delivering 70,000 litres (15,000 imp gal; 18,000 US gal) of water a day) from the east side of the region near Goole in a convoy of trucks, with 3,500 daily deliveries along the M62 in a drastic emergency measure which cost £3 million a week, eventually totalling £33 million for the entire tankering operation. [19] The trucks were famously shown on TV delivering water into Booth Wood Reservoir. [20] [21] [22] The company has now built a pipeline from the east to the west to allow the balancing of water levels should the need arise. Following the "year of drought", Yorkshire Water became known as "the most hated water company" during this period, with "staff having to travel in unmarked vans for fear of reprisals". [23] Many suspected Yorkshire Water would never be able to win back customers' trust. [24]

2007 Hull floods

The company came under intense criticism when the Bransholme pumping station failed, worsening the flood damage to the city and flooding two thousand homes on the Kingswood and Bransholme estates. The pumping station was upgraded in 2016. [25] [26]

2022 Sheffield gas supply outage

Yorkshire Water were criticised in December 2022 when a burst water main operated by the company caused flooding in the Stannington area of Sheffield, which subsequently entered the local gas network and left thousands of properties without a natural gas supply for more than a week amid below-freezing temperatures. The burst water main occurred during the evening of 2 December and leaked more than 400,000 litres of water into the local gas pipe network before finally being fully repaired five days later. Sheffield City Council declared a major incident and aid was distributed to residents as a result of the crisis. [27]

Customer service

Yorkshire Water ranked 11th of 21 water companies in Ofwat's 'Satisfaction by company' survey 2012/13. [28] In January 2015 the UK Customer Service Index (UKCSI) announced that Yorkshire Water was the leader for service in the Utilities sector, they were also the second most improved organisation in the whole UKCSI, beating competitors such as Severn Trent, Anglian, Thames Water as well as United Utilities and EDF.[ citation needed ]

The UKCSI is the only external measure showing the state of customer satisfaction in the UK and allows individuals to benchmark across all sectors as well as utilities.[ citation needed ]

Drinking water quality

In the year ending 31 March 2013, 99.93% of Yorkshire Water's samples met the UK standards; in the previous year it was 99.95%. [29]

Constituents

The authority created in 1974 took over the Yorkshire River Authority and the following public sector water supply utilities: [30]

York Waterworks Company

In early 1999 the company took over York Waterworks Company, a small water-only company serving the city of York. [31]

Predecessor borough waterworks

Barnsley Corporation Waterworks

The Barnsley Local Board of Health established a waterworks using powers in the Barnsley Local Board Act 1862 (25 & 26 Vict. c. xxxii).

The Barnsley Waterworks Company was established by the Barnsley Water Act 1837 (7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. lxxxii).

Bradford Corporation Waterworks

Bradford Corporation Waterworks was created by the Bradford Corporation Waterworks Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. cxxix).

The Bradford Waterworks Company was established by the Bradford Waterworks Act 1854 (5 & 6 Vict. c. vi)

Huddersfield Corporation Waterworks

Huddersfield Corporation Waterworks was formed when the Huddersfield Water Act 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. cx) vested the undertaking of the Huddersfield Waterworks Commissioners in the corporation.

Wessenden Reservoir was bought by the corporation under the Huddersfield Corporation Waterworks Act 1890 (53 & 54 Vict. c. cxv). They had offices in Water Street, Huddersfield, built in 1828.

The Huddersfield Waterworks Commissioners were created by the Huddersfield Water Act 1827 (7 & 8 Geo. 4. c. 84).

Hull Corporation Waterworks

Hull Corporation Waterworks was created by the Kingston-upon-Hull Water Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict. c. lxxiii).

Leeds Corporation Waterworks

Leeds Corporation took over the private Leeds Waterworks Company by the Leeds Waterworks (Wharfe Supply) Act 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. c. cii).

The Leeds Waterworks Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. cxli) authorised the building of three reservoirs at Fewston Lindley Wood and Swinsty.

The Leeds Waterworks Company was incorporated by the Leeds Waterworks Act 1837 (7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. lxxxiii).

Rotherham Corporation Waterworks

Scarborough Corporation Waterworks

Scarborough Corporation Waterworks was established when the Scarborough Corporation Water Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. lxxv) enabled Scarborough Corporation to purchase the private Scarborough Waterworks Company.

The Scarborough Waterworks Company was incorporated by the Scarborough and Falsegrave Water Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. lxviii).

Scarborough Waterworks Company purchased the Scalby Water Company by the Scarborough Waterworks Amendment Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. l).

Sheffield Corporation Waterworks

Sheffield Water Act 1830
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1816-1837).svg
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act for better supplying with Water the Town and Parish of Sheffield, in the County of York.
Citation 11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4. c. lv
Dates
Royal assent 29 May 1830
Text of statute as originally enacted

The private Sheffield Waterworks Company was incorporated by the Sheffield Water Act 1830 (11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4. c. lv), taking over a number of smaller water suppliers that existed at that time.

In 1833, Hadfield Dam (originally named Pisgah Dam) was created in Crookes to provide a service reservoir. The three large Redmires Reservoirs were then complied in 1836, 1849 and 1854. The Rivelin Dams were created in 1848 to provide compensation water.

The Sheffield Waterworks Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. xxii) authorised the company to raise more money, and the building of Dale Dike, Agden and Strines reservoirs on the River Loxley.

In 1864 the dam of Dale Dike Reservoir failed, causing the Great Sheffield Flood.

The company built offices in Division Street, Sheffield in 1869. These are now a J D Wetherspoons public house.

The Sheffield Waterworks (Amendment) Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. lxxxvii) obliged the company to start to provide a continuous water supply from July 1869. The company failed to do this, which led to Sheffield Corporation beginning attempts to take over the service. The achieved this with the passing of the Sheffield Corporation (Water) Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. clxxviii), which allowed the Sheffield Corporation Waterworks Department to take over the company's operation for a cost of £2,092,014 (equivalent to £238 million in 2025).

The undertaking of the Dearne Valley Water Board was transferred to Sheffield Corporation Waterworks by the Sheffield Water (Dearne Valley) Order 1963 (SI 1963/572).

The Dearne Valley Water Board was constituted by the Dearne Valley Water Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. lxxiv), taking over the private Dearne Valley Waterworks Company.

The Dearne Valley Waterworks Company was incorporated by the Dearne Valley Waterworks Act 1880 (43 & 44 Vict. c. cxvi).

Predecessor water boards

Calderdale Water Board

Calderdale Water Board was created by the Calderdale Water Board Order 1961 (SI 1961/623). It covered Halifax, Brighouse, and the Calder Valley, and had offices on Thrum Hall Lane, Halifax.

Halifax Corporation Waterworks was created in 1848 when Halifax became a municipal borough, taking over the water undertaking of Halifax Improvement Commissioners created by the Halifax (Water Supply) Act 1762 (2 Geo. 3. c. 40).

Claro Water Board

The Claro Water Board was constituted by the Claro Water Board Order 1958 (SI 1958/1808). It had offices in Woodfield Gardens, Harrogate. It took over the Harrogate Corporation Waterworks, the Ripon Corporation Waterworks and the Wetherby District Water Company.

Harrogate Corporation Waterworks was formed when Harrogate Corporation took over the private Harrowgate Water Company under the Harrogate Corporation (Waterworks Transfer) Act 1897 (60 & 61 Vict. c. ccxxxvii). After the passing of the Harrogate Water Act 1903 (3 Edw. 7. c. xxxvii), Harrogate Corporation Waterworks took over the Knaresborough Waterworks.

The Harrogate Waterworks Company was established by the Harrogate Waterworks Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. cxiii).

The Ripon Corporation Waterworks had supplied water to Ripon.

The Wetherby District Water Company was formed by the Wetherby District Water Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. lxxii).

Craven Water Board

The Craven Water Board was constituted by the Craven Water Board Order 1959 (SI 1959/433). It took over Keighley Corporation Waterworks and Barnoldswick Urban District Council's water undertaking.

The Keighley Local Board of Health bought the private Keighley Waterworks Company under the Keighley Waterworks and Improvement Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. liv).

The Keighley Waterworks Company was established by the Keighley Water Act 1816 (56 Geo. 3. c. xliii).

Doncaster and District Joint Water Board

The Doncaster and District Joint Water Board was constituted by the Doncaster and District Joint Water Board Order 1962 (SI 1962/1924). It took over Doncaster Corporation Waterworks.

Doncaster Corporation Waterworks was established by the Doncaster Corporation Waterworks Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. cxxix).

East Yorkshire (Wolds Area) Water Board

The East Yorkshire (Wolds Area) Water Board was constituted by the East Yorkshire (Wolds Area) Water Board Order 1961 (SI 1961/2399).

Mid Calder Water Board

The Mid Calder Water Board was constituted by the Mid Calder Water Board Order 1965 (SI 1965/2006).

Batley Corporation Waterworks was created under the Batley Corporation Waterworks Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. xl), when Batley Corporation left the Dewsbury, Batley and Heckmondwike Waterworks, and set up their own waterworks.

The Dewsbury and Heckmondwike Waterworks Board was formed by the Dewsbury and Heckmondwike Waterworks Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c. clxxxv) from Dewsbury, Batley, and Heckmondwike Waterworks, following the departure of Batley.

The Dewsbury, Batley, and Heckmondwike Waterworks was created by the Dewsbury, Batley and Heckmondwike Waterworks Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. xxxvi) as an undertaking jointly owned by the local boards of Dewsbury, Batley and Heckmondwike. It took over the existing Dewsbury Local Board of Health water undertaking authorised by the Dewsbury Waterworks Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. cxxvii).

Northallerton and the Dales Water Board

The Northallerton and the Dales Water Board was constituted by the Northallerton and the Dales Water Board Order 1962 (SI 1963/261). It took over the water undertaking of the Northallerton Urban District which had been authorised by the Northallerton Waterworks Act 1909 (54 & 55 Vict. c. cxxxiv).

Pontefract, Goole and Selby Water Board

Pontefract, Goole and Selby Water Board was created by the Pontefract, Google and Selby Water Board Order 1961 (SI 1961/1447). It had waterworks at Pollington, with water obtained from the red sandstone via boreholes.

Rombalds Water Board

Rombalds Water Board was constituted by the Rombalds Water Board Order 1962 (SI 1962/271). It had reservoirs on Rombalds Moor.

The Yeadon Waterworks Company had been formed by the Yeadon Waterworks Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. xxiv).

Menstone Rural District Council purchased the Menstone Waterworks Company by the Menstone Waterworks (Transfer) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. xli).

Wakefield and District Water Board

Wakefield and District Water Board was formed by the Wakefield and District Water Board Order 1961 (SI 1961/1299), succeeding Wakefield Corporation Waterworks, initially inheriting their offices at 21 King Street, Wakefield. In 1966 the water board moved to new offices on the corner of George Street and Southgate.

Wakefield Corporation Waterworks was formed by the Wakefield Improvement Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. cxcvii), taking over the private Wakefield Waterworks Company.

The Wakefield Waterworks Company was formed by the Wakefield Water Act 1837 (7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. lv).

Reservoirs

Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club at Grimwith Reservoir Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club at Grimwith.jpg
Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club at Grimwith Reservoir

Yorkshire Water allows recreational use of some of 113 of its 120+ reservoirs. [32] [33] Activities include walking, fishing, horse riding, cycling, water sports and bird watching. [34] [35] Several sailing clubs are afforded the use of certain reservoirs for their sailing activities, including Boshaw Whams, Embsay, Grimwith, Ponden, Scar House, Thornton Steward, and Warley Moor Reservoirs. [36]

Since privatisation of the water authorities in 1989, Yorkshire Water has made many of its locations accessible to the public, which not only cover water, but woodland and moorland. Walks exist around Brayton Barff, Fewston, Grimwith, Langsett, More Hall, Scammoden, Thruscross, and Undebank reservoirs. [37] Additionally, in 2008, Yorkshire Water teamed up with long-distance walking writer Mark Reid to create the Yorkshire Water Way, a 103-mile (166 km) walk which takes in Yorkshire Water Reservoirs along its route. [38] [39]

References

  1. ↑ Ames, Daryl (16 June 2021). "Woman with OBE appointed new chair of Yorkshire Water at 'critical time'". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (21 August 2022). "England's highly paid water bosses rake it in from lucrative second jobs". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 Wood, Alexandra (16 August 2022). "Bosses at Yorkshire Water paid more than £3m in bonuses – despite leakages running at 283.1 million litres per day". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Company History". Kelda Group. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Electronic (PDF) Maps | SafeMove Residential and Commercial Property Searches incl Yorkshire Water's Pipe and Sewer Records". safe-move.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "Case Study: Yorkshire Water". alsglobal.com. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban to start on 26 August". BBC News. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "BearingPoint helps Yorkshire Water enhance its maintenance operations". consultancy.uk. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Our Strategy for Recreation on Land and Water" (PDF). yorkshirewater.com. July 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  10. ↑ Black, Michael (13 April 2007). "Firm fined for polluting beck". Telegraph & Argus . Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  11. 1 2 ENDS Report 388, May 2007, p. 54
  12. ↑ ENDS Report 351, April 2004, p. 60
  13. ↑ ENDS Report 377, June 2006, p. 54
  14. ↑ ENDS Report 311, December 2000, p. 52
  15. ↑ Harrison, Michael (4 June 1996). "Ofwat 'fines' Yorkshire Water £40m" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Water Resources". staff.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  17. ↑ "Utility Company of the year". utility-awards.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ↑ "Writs fly in sewage row – Yorkshire Water". constructionnews.co.uk. 13 January 1994. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  19. ↑ August, Oliver (31 May 1997). "Yorkshire Water spent £33m on tankering". The Times. No. 65904. p. 26. ISSN   0140-0460.
  20. ↑ Thornham, Kelly; Rutter, Suzanne (30 July 2005). "Firm says supplies at usual level". Halifax Courier. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  21. ↑ Durkin, Hannah (15 April 2006). "Water lot we got". Halifax Courier. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  22. ↑ Cathcart, Brian (25 February 1996). "Fat cataclysm" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  23. ↑ Wilkinson, Paul; Nuttall, Nick (19 September 1995). "Yorkshire faces drought order despite downpour". The Times. No. 65376. p. 5. ISSN   0140-0460.
  24. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (13 September 1995). "Drought policy attacked". The Times. No. 65371. p. 2. ISSN   0140-0460.
  25. ↑ Vidal, Jon (22 November 2007). "Water company failed to take action on flood warnings, report alleges". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Flood defence pumping station opens in Hull". BBC News. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  27. ↑ "Stannington: Major incident declared as homes still without gas". BBC News. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Service Incentive Mechanism report" (PDF). Ofwat. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  29. ↑ "Annual Report and Accounts" (PDF). Yorkshire Water. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  30. ↑ The Yorkshire Water Authority Constitution Order 1973 No. 1289. London: HMSO. 1973. p. 3,911. ISBN   0-11-031289-9.
  31. ↑ "York Waterworks deal given go-ahead". York Press. 8 March 1999. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  32. ↑ "Yorkshire Water | Water Projects". waterprojectsonline.com. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  33. ↑ "Our Strategy for Recreation on Land and Water" (PDF). yorkshirewater.com. July 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  34. ↑ "Yorkshire Water". britishcanoeing.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Our Strategy for Recreation on Land and Water" (PDF). yorkshirewater.com. July 2016. p. 5. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  36. 1 2 "Yorkshire Water – Sailing and water sports at our reservoirs". yorkshirewater.com. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  37. ↑ Zientek, Henryk (27 December 2017). "Just 1% of Yorkshire's countryside is truly accessible to the disabled – Here's how Yorkshire Water is trying to change that at Scammonden" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  38. ↑ Reid 2008, p. 3.
  39. ↑ "Long Distance Walkers Association". ldwa.org.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  40. 1 2 3 Reid 2008, p. 72.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Lomas 2016, p. 7.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Reid 2008, p. 95.
  43. 1 2 3 Reid 2008, p. 96.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Reid 2008, p. 73.
  45. 1 2 Reid 2008, p. 25.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bowtell, Harold D. (1991). Lesser railways of the Yorkshire Dales : and the dam builders in the Age of Steam. Brighton: Plateway Press. p. 156. ISBN   1-871980-09-7.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 Reid 2008, p. 97.
  48. 1 2 3 Reid 2008, p. 48.
  49. ↑ "Randy Mere Water body ID 29253". uklakes.ceh.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  50. ↑ "Tophill Low Reservoir". 6 January 2008. Archived from the original on 6 January 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
  51. ↑ Minting, Stuart (18 August 2022). "Yorkshire Water seeks urgent safety changes at huge reservoir". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  52. ↑ Reid 2008, p. 71.

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