Essex & Suffolk Water is thanking customers for their continued efforts to save water, as new data shows demand has fallen by around seven per cent since Temporary Use Ban (TUBs) restricting certain types of water use was introduced at the beginning of August.
While the weather is expected to become cooler and wetter as autumn approaches, the company says it is still too early to lift restrictions and is urging customers to keep making every effort to continue to use water wisely.
The latest monthly water demand infographic, published today, shows reservoir levels remain well below where they would normally be for this time of year, despite some rainfall during August.
Figures released by the company show:
- Combined reservoir storage ended August at 52%.
- A total of 43mm of rain fell during the month, equivalent to 71% of the long-term average for August.
- Teams have repaired 5,749 leaks so far in 2026.
- The highest demand day was Sunday 2 August, when customers across the region used 588 million litres of water.
Essex & Suffolk Water continues to take action to protect supplies, the company has launched extra leakage focused teams aimed at finding and fixing leakage across the network as quickly as possible and are working closely with business customers and their retailers to help reduce non-household and business water use.
Katie Davis, Head of Water Service Planning, said: "We're grateful to everyone who continues to support the restrictions and make changes to their water use. Those efforts are making a real difference, and we've seen demand fall by around seven per cent since the Temporary Use Ban was introduced.
"While the recent change in weather is welcome and we expect conditions to become more autumnal in the coming weeks, we still need customers to keep doing their bit.
“Reservoir levels remain well below where we would like them to be and rainfall during August was significantly lower than normal.
"At the same time, we're continuing to play our part by repairing leaks, reducing water loss from our network and working with businesses to bring down demand.
"We're reviewing conditions all the time and will lift the restrictions as soon it is right to do so. However, we're focused not only on the months ahead but also on ensuring we have enough water available for next year. Every drop saved today helps protect supplies for the future."
Customers can find practical advice on saving water and the latest drought information on the Essex & Suffolk Water website.