Hallam Water Plan
In October 2025, a burst pipe left many households across the city without running water. This caused significant disruption and frustration for residents. Regrettably, this was not an isolated incident but the result of long-standing underinvestment and mismanagement by Yorkshire Water.
Despite regular increases to household water bills, Yorkshire Water has failed to adequately invest in essential maintenance and improvement works. In a single year, the company lost approximately 95 billion litres of water through leaks and discharged raw sewage into rivers and waterways on more than 68,000 occasions. Yet, last summer, we were still subjected to a hosepipe ban. This points to systemic failure and a business model that prioritises shareholder returns over public service and environmental responsibility.
Access to clean, reliable water is a basic public necessity and should not be treated as a vehicle for private profit. Yorkshire Water’s repeated failures raise serious questions about whether the current privatised model is fit for purpose. It is time to have an open and honest discussion about the future of our water services.
Come and have your say on how we fix our broken water system.