ESSEX & Suffolk Water is thanking customers for their support and water saving action after the recent introduction of a temporary use ban across its operating areas.

The restrictions came into force on Monday. 3 August, following months of prolonged dry weather and the Environment Agency's decision to place half of England into drought.

July saw little to no rainfall across East Anglia with four successive heatwaves, and the Environment Agency is starting to see more impacts on the environment.

Soils are extremely dry affecting groundwater sources, river flows are low and forecasts are set to see the hot and dry conditions to continue into August.

In the first full week after the temporary hosepipe ban was introduced, customer demand for water fell across both Essex and Suffolk.

Essex saw water use reduce by 160 megalitres, from 3,412 megalitres in the week before the ban to 3,252 megalitres in the week after – creating a drop of 4.7%.

Suffolk saw a reduction of 39 megalitres, from 550 megalitres per week to 511 megalitres, equivalent to a 7.1% fall.

In total, demand across Essex and Suffolk fell by 199 megalitres in one week, which is a 5% reduction overall.

Chris Fulton, Head of Water Supply, said: "We want to say a big thank you to all of our customers who have played their part in helping us reduce the demand for water during this first week of restrictions.

"It's positive to see the difference this is making and that people are really trying to do their bit by reducing the amount of water they're using, especially during the hot dry weather that we're continuing to see across the East Anglia region.

"It's still early days but we're really encouraged so far -and while introducing the restrictions wasn't a decision we made lightly, it's clearly the right thing to do, to help protect our precious rivers and wildlife while also help safeguarding water supplies for the coming months."

Water teams on the ground are treating leakage and bursts as a priority, and this has been particularly challenging as the ground is very dry and prone to move more because of the extremely hot weather. This movement can put pressure on buried pipes, causing more cracks, loose joints and leaks.

Customer service teams have helped more than 2,400 people via written, telephone and online channels since the restrictions were implemented.

Hanningfield and Abberton reservoirs are at 56% and 64% respectively.

The temporary use ban means customers should not use hosepipes for watering their gardens, washing cars, patios and boats or filling swimming and paddling pools. Sprinklers and pressure washers are also prohibited under the ban.

For more information about the temporary use ban, including any exemptions, and advice and tips on how to save water, please visit website: Temporary Use Ban