YORKSHIRE Water has dismissed suggestions that it cannot lawfully impose a hosepipe ban on York households next week.

The company announced last week that it was introducing a ban across the region on August 26 after reservoir levels fell below 50 per cent following the extremely dry weather, with repeat offenders facing a £1,000 fine.

It said York would be included in the ban, even though the city gets most of its water from the River Ouse, which doesn't run dry in a drought, because it was part of Yorkshire Water's wider water network.

But a former York councillor subsequently contacted The Press to suggest that when in 1999 Yorkshire Water took over the former York Waterworks - which until then was responsible for water supplies in the city - it agreed there would never be a hosepipe ban in the city.

The ex-councillor, who did not wish to be named, said he had a clear recollection of discussions between the council and all parties.

"I seem to recall that a cast iron guarantee was given by Yorkshire Water that because York’s water was derived from the Ouse, and also because of the ancient rights and because there never would be supply problems, that water customers in York would never be obliged to have a hosepipe ban," he said.

The Press also reported in January 1999 that City of York Council was seeking an assurance that York householders would never be at risk of a hosepipe ban, or any other water restrictions, if the deal went ahead.

The article said that unlike Yorkshire Water, York Waterworks had always avoided having to introduce any supply restrictions even in the most severe of droughts, because of the abundant supplies provided by the River Ouse.

However, another former councillor, Steve Galloway, told The Press that he had "no recollection of Yorkshire Water agreeing to a 'no hosepipe ban ever' clause in any York Waterworks Company sale agreement".

He say Yorkshire Water "most definitely did say that consumers in York would be 'no worse off' under their ownership if the sale was completed". He added: "Generally, this was taken to refer to the level of bills or 'water rates'. "

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson today (Wednesday) said there was nothing in agreement with York Waterworks that prevented the implementation of a hosepipe ban in York.

They said: “We are introducing a hosepipe ban on August 26 for all of our customers due to lower levels in rivers, such as the Ouse, and our reservoirs being less than 50 per cent full.

"The water supply for our customers in York comes partly from the Ouse, but also from our grid network, which moves water around the region to meet demand. There is nothing in our agreement with the former York Waterworks that prevents us implementing a hosepipe ban in York.”