Customers are being encouraged to ditch the hosepipe during hot weather
The arrival of the summer solstice (June 21) means that astronomical summer is now well and truly upon us. And with temperatures rising across the East once more, Anglian Water has appealed to residents across the region to conserve water where they can.
“As we look forward to a warmer end to this week, we need our customers’ support to keep taps flowing,” said Dr Geoff Darch, Head of Strategic Asset Planning at Anglian Water.
“As always, our teams are working round the clock to keep taps flowing across our region, but during hot weather like this, we see a much higher demand for water, which puts pressure on our networks,” he explained.
While Anglian Water’s resources are still currently secure, the last few months of hot and dry weather – following on from record-breaking dry and warm weather in 2025 – have outweighed the rainfall seen in the winter and more recently in June, meaning that some sources in the region – including in Cambridgeshire – are experiencing below normal levels.
With this in mind, Dr Darch said he would like residents to consider altering how they use water sooner rather than later: “Please think carefully about your water usage and use less water now, to help make sure that you and your community have enough water to go around.”
Anglian Water has outlined a number of ways people can help to conserve water:
- Ditch the hosepipe: A hosepipe uses around five times more water than a watering can. So a simple switch can keep plants healthy without overwatering them.
- Love your brown lawn: Lawns are tougher than most people think and can easily survive a few days of sunshine. If it desperately needs a drink, make sure to reuse rain or bathwater rather than wasting drinking water;
- Reuse the pool: Paddling pools use a lot of water. It is easy to use less water by not filling it up completely and by scooping out any bugs and leaves before covering it with a fitted bed sheet to keep it fresh for another use;
- Hold off washing the car or patio: Please pack away the pressure washer until the hot weather’s over. Washing a car, patio or decking uses a lot of clean, treated water;
- Make domestic water work twice as hard: If rinsing food for dinner or a BBQ, don’t let it drain away. Instead collect it in a bowl or jug and use it to feed indoor or garden plants.


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