Despite recent wet weather, parts of the Anglian region have been officially in a state of drought since early in the month. Areas in the South West, South East, and Midlands are experiencing near-drought conditions following the driest spring on record in South East and Central Southern England, and the driest right across England and Wales since 1990.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “Drought has hit parts of East Anglia, with other areas in England and Wales also giving grounds for concern. Water companies are confident that supplies are high enough so that widespread restrictions to the public are unlikely. We’re doing all we can to reduce the impact on agriculture and wildlife, but everyone can play their part.
“Households know how to use less water and everyone can do their bit to use water more wisely, not only through the summer, but throughout the year.”
Although some areas across the country have benefited from recent rainfall, this has done little to improve the situation in the driest areas. It is important to follow some of these simple tips to conserve water:
- Check your plumbing and drains for leaks
- Turn off your tap when you are brushing your teeth
- Take showers rather than baths
- Repair any dripping taps
- Only use what water you need when filling the kettle to make tea or coffee
- Only use the washing machine when you can put a full load into it
- Keep water in the fridge to chill so that you don’t need to run the tap to get cool water each time
- Place a brick or a ‘hippo’ in the toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water flushed
- Use a shut-off nozzle on your hose pipe if you are using it in the garden or to wash the car
- Use a mulch on beds and vegetable plots to retain moisture in the soil to reduce the amount of watering
- Use a water butt to collect rainwater to use on the garden
Related articles
- Drought conditions hit parts of UK (mirror.co.uk)
- Parts of Eastern England Declared Drought-stricken (scientificamerican.com)
- Drought declared in East Anglia (independent.co.uk)
- Parts of UK officially in drought (bbc.co.uk)
- Drought declared in East Anglia (guardian.co.uk)
- Drought declared as shortages set to last until autumn (telegraph.co.uk)
- Caroline Spelman says take a shower rather than a bath as drought declared in East Anglia (telegraph.co.uk)