Toddler drinking from the water fountain in the summertime

With the hot spell set to continue into next week, we are urging people to make every drop of water count during the heatwave.

It’s not just temperatures that have been rising in recent days – so has demand for water across England and Wales as people try to keep their cool and stay hydrated.

We expect water companies to be well prepared to keep taps running but that doesn’t mean we cannot all play our part too by using water wisely.

It’s important to keep drinking plenty of tap water to stay hydrated but our website is packed with simple tips to help you save water in other ways – wherever you are, whatever the weather.

You’ll also find lots of great advice and free water-saving devices by visiting your water company’s website.

Mike Keil, Head of Policy and Research at the Consumer Council for Water, said:

We would expect all water companies to be well prepared to deal with a rise in demand for water which is entirely predictable during a hot spell of weather that was forecast well in advance. The majority of companies have told us they have seen demand rise significantly in recent days but have assured us they are well prepared and able to ensure customers’ taps do not run dry. Where customers have experienced disruption, water companies should resolve these problems swiftly, keep people well informed of what’s happening and make sure they are looking after the most vulnerable. Customers can play their part by using water wisely – water companies and CCWater have lots of great tips on how to do this.

Simple steps to save water

Take shorter showers – reducing your daily shower time from 10 minutes to around 4 minutes will save more than 300 litres of water every week. For every minute less you spend in the shower, you could save up to 8 litres of water

Install a water-saving shower head these clever devices can cut the amount of water used by about 30 per cent. Most water companies offer a wide range of free water-saving devices so give your supplier a call or check their website.

Replace worn washers on leaky taps – a dripping tap in your home can waste over 5,000 litres of water a year – that’s enough to fill a paddling pool every week of the summer. If you are on a water meter it could also add about £20 to your annual water bill.

Turn off the tap while brushing – You can save about 6 litres of water every minute simply by turning off the tap while your brush your teeth.