Water waste

The fact that the company attributes this to the ravages of last winter will not wash with taxpayers. Though recognising that the freezing temperatures did damage pipework, this harsh weather was not unique to this region – the whole country was blighted in equal measure.

If other companies were able to meet their obligations, why was Yorkshire Water unable to do so?

This key question has yet to be satisfactorily answered. And while the water company is right to highlight its record over the last 13 years, it has to remember that consumers are not pre-occupied with the past. They are concerned with the present and the future.

Furthermore, the amount of water being lost is eyewatering. According to Ofwat, Yorkshire Water has been losing 295 million litres a day – sufficient to fill 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

While past summers have been inclement, they have not been unduly wet; indeed, parts of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, a major visitor attraction, had to be closed this summer because of water shortages.

Those inconvenienced are, again, unlikely to be appeased by Yorkshire Water's planned talks with Ofwat to negotiate future targets. They would be far happier if the company explained, without complaint, how it intends to remedy the situation.