Anglian Water wants visitors to the region to do their part in supporting the East of England’s water savvy users, says David Hartley..

With thousands of people expected to migrate to seaside towns in the East of England over the coming weeks, some areas will see their population increase by more than one third over night.

This, combined with peak summer holiday season, means that even more water will be needed by customers and holiday makers in the coming weeks.

Our customers in the East of England are already some of the most savvy water users in the UK, using on average 133 litres each per day – less than the UK average of 145 litres per day. We’re calling out to all visitors to our region to be as water-savvy as possible – as the old adage goes, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’. Or in this case, East Anglia. Or, if you’re visiting elsewhere in the UK remember to take your excellent water-wise habits on holiday with you.

Despite the hot weather, water levels in our reservoirs and groundwater stores are healthy and we are grateful to our water savvy customers who help make the best use of the water we have in this dry region by loving every drop all year round.”

As a responsible business, we want to ensure that everyone in our region is sensible with their water usage, whether they live here, or are simply just visiting. Water is a precious resource that is often taken advantage of in periods of hot weather like this.

So, don’t fill your paddling pool, head to the beach; don’t water your grass, let it glow gorgeously brown; don’t wash your car, show off your recent travels.

Similarly, as a responsible business we plan our water resources years ahead, so despite supplies being in good shape this summer, we’re already thinking ahead to next summer… and the summer after that.

Here are some of our top water saving tips for you to try out. We don’t expect you to perfect every one, but just give it a go; you could even turn it into a game to play with your kids. Water saving bingo, anyone?

Water saving is a collective effort and whilst turning your tap off when brushing your teeth doesn’t seem like it will change the world overnight, it will go a long way to protecting our region. Whether you can do everything on our list, or maybe just one or two, it all adds up. So do your bit, and be super savvy this summer.

Water saving tips

1) Stay hydrated - leave a jug of tap water in the fridge to cool down rather than running the tap to get it cold.

2) Make fruit ice cubes with the kids to add a refreshing splash to their drinks and save running the tap for longer than needed.

3) Take a shorter shower or a shallower bath. Just a minute less in the shower can save as much as £50 a year on your water bill.

4) Forget the paddling pool and head to the beach. In the East of England we have some of the best beaches in the country and many have been awarded Blue Flags and Seaside Awards. There’s even a beach and swimming area at our water park in Rutland, opening for the school summer holidays.

5) If you’ve already filled the paddling pool for the day, don’t empty it! You can save loads on your water bill by using gentle disinfectant tablets that keep the paddling pool water fresh for days of use and fun with the kids. Or use the water to wash the dog or on the flower beds.

6) Water plants late at night when it’s cool. The water is less likely to evaporate and will do most good. Watering in the heat of the day is not advised as it can scorch and kill your plants.

7) Learn to love your brown lawn – leave the sprinkler in the shed this summer. Grass is extremely hard to kill. Your lawn will soon bounce back and be vibrant and green again.

8) Fix that dripping tap. Dripping taps are just money running down the drain. If your tap dripped every second, all day, it would waste around 17 litres in just 24 hours. That’s over 6,000 litres and around £30 a year.

9) Check your local forecast. If it’s going to rain tomorrow don’t water the plants.