Water firm urges customers to have shorter showers

A water firm has advised its customers to have shorter showers after England experienced the driest spring since 1893.

Thames Water, which serves about 16 million customers across central and southern England, has offered tips on how people can conserve water after the Environment Agency (EA) warned of a "medium" risk of summer drought

Andrew Tucker, the firm's water demand reduction manager, said: "A couple of minutes off your shower could save a huge amount."

He said there was a focus on encouraging reducing shower time as it was "on average the biggest water user in the house".

"We want everyone to be efficient with water every single day of the year, irrespective of the weather - but we've had an incredibly dry spring," Mr Tucker said.

He said it meant it would be "a more challenging start to the summer period when we know water demand will be higher".

The firm is not planning a hosepipe ban or any restrictions on use, Mr Tucker said, but he added: "Mother Nature can be a little unpredictable."

The other ways the firm is asking people to reduce their water use includes turning off the tap when brushing their teeth, reducing laundry loads and fixing leaking toilets.

The EA has convened a national drought group to discuss the latest outlook and to hear from water companies about steps they are taking to prepare for the summer.

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