Anglian Water warning after driest summer since 1976

The region's water provider has said that despite the wetter weather this autumn, water resources are still much lower than expected at this time of the year.

10 out of the last 12 months, including a stretch of seven months in a row, received lower than average rainfall.

As a result, water levels in the reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources are below normal.

Around half of the water supplied to the Anglian region comes from groundwater, and despite recent rainfall, the ground is still very dry and acts as a barrier when rain does fall.

This impacts Anglian Water's underground network of pipes and puts them at risk of shifting and breaking, making leaks and bursts more likely.

The water provider's modelling suggests that for water resources to return to normal levels, we will need more than 100 per cent of the usual rainfall every month until April 2026.

This would mean more rainfall over the next six months than we have had across the whole of 2025 so far.

Ian Rule, the director of Water Services at Anglian Water, said: "Water is a precious resource, and we see ourselves as its custodians, responsible for balancing the needs of customers with those of the environment.

"However, everyone has a role to play to support the environment - we all need to work together and that includes relying on our customers to use water wisely."

Anglian Water are encouraging people to use "a little less" - here is how they recommend you do it:

• Use an old bucket or bin as a water-butt to catch raindrops
• Let the rain water your plants, rather than doing it yourself when it is raining
• Add mulch, wood chips or bark to garden beds to allow the rain to enter and keep plants healthy
• Choose low maintenance, drought-tolerant plants that do not need too much watering

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