'No chance' of Peterborough hosepipe ban this year

The city has been basking in sunshine for a number of weeks now - leading to green fingered residents needing more and more water to keep their plants growing.

But despite the extra demand, a spokeswoman for Anglian Water said there was 'no chance' of a hosepipe ban this year.

Emma Staples from Anglian Water said: “There’s no chance of a hosepipe ban in the Anglian region this year. Water levels in our reservoirs and groundwater stores are healthy and in some cases above average. You’ve only got to take a look at one of our local reservoir water parks to see that the levels are still full. It will take a lot more than 10 days of warm weather to cause us any issues: we’d need two or three very dry seasons back to back to give us cause for concern.

“Love Every Drop is in our logo and at the heart of what we do as a business so sharing tips on how to save water is business as usual for us. Our customers generally use less than the national average already and we’ve have some great tips shared on our Facebook page from our water-savvy customers too.

“The other reasons we’re in good shape on water resources are we’re on our game and always striving to do more when it comes to leakage. Anglian Water is the best in the industry and much of the world, which means we’re better placed than most to deal with the risk dry spells – because we’re not losing as much water as some other companies day to day. This plus our billions of pounds of investment and long term planning means we’re well positioned in this area to cope with warm spells, despite living in the driest part of the UK.

“We’re grateful to everyone who helps make the best use of this precious resource in this dry region by loving every drop all year round.”

Emma said reservoirs in the region were about 92 per cent full.

Each Anglian Water user uses on average 133 litres each per day compared to the national average of about 140litres each per day. That’s the difference of about 4million toilet flushes a day across the whole region.

Emma also said Anglian Water had the best record regarding leakages in the country, saving litres and litres compared to other areas.

Hints and tips on how to save water during the summer heat:

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

To stay cool dampen a flannel and put it in the fridge

Dab cold water from the fridge on your wrists, ankles and temples.

Learn to love your brown lawn – leave the sprinkler in the shed this summer, it’s one of the biggest water guzzlers! Grass is extremely hard to kill. Your lawn will soon bounce back and be vibrant and green again, come the autumn.

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.

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 car on water the flower beds.

Or forget the paddling pool completely 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.

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. We all take a shower or a bath so this is one of the easiest tips for everyone to get involved in.

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 24hours! That’s over 6000 litres and around £30 a year.

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