Ten years ago, Yorkshire Water lifted a hosepipe ban after months of shortages.

The company had struggled for more than six months with empty reservoirs and diminished water stocks.

Water had to be ferried in by hundreds of tankers from other parts of the country.

A decade on, the Bradford-based company has dramatically turned around its performance.

As millions across the UK were hit by hosepipe bans this year, Yorkshire was one of the few regions not to impose restrictions and the company has received praise from regulators for improved efficiency.

After being criticised heavily over the shortages of 1995 and 1996, Yorkshire Water invested hundreds of millions of pounds to revamp the supply infrastructure.

The new grid takes water from reservoirs, groundwater and rivers across Yorkshire. Using pumping stations and thousands of miles of new pipes it can transfer water around as and when needed.

The new grid has also improved efficiency, reducing leaks from its pipes by almost half in ten years.

Asset strategy manager Robert Lloyd said: "Lifting the hosepipe ban this week ten years ago was a significant milestone in our history.

Explaining the improvements, he said: "There are two things we have done.

"We set ourselves a much higher level of service and the flexibility of the grid means it can adapt to different conditions, meaning we can transfer water from areas of surplus to areas of shortages.

"And there have been a number of summers, including 2003 and 2006, when we experienced hotter and drier conditions for lengthy periods when the grid system proved just how resilient it is and kept customers supplied without any need for restrictions.

"We have also had a huge reduction in leakage."

The grid system was approved by water regulatory body OFWAT.

An OFWAT spokesman said: "Yorkshire Water is a very different company from the one that existed a decade ago.

"The company's management and the company's attitudes to its customers have both changed for the better.

"They have made good progress in reducing leakage and improving the availability of their water resources meeting our key targets in this area."

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk