Serving parts of North West London and the Home Counties.

 

Our Water Resources

 Last Update: 9 September 2019

Groundwater levels continue to decline and are now in drought zone 3

After almost three years of dry autumn and winters, groundwater levels have continued to decline and have now reached drought zone 3 in our central region.

Rainfall in August was below the long-term average at 77% and we welcomed the rainfall in July, which was slightly above average at 104%. This rainfall was good for the environment and helped to reduce the demand for water.

However, when considering nearly three years of below average rainfall, a couple of months of good rain, especially in the summer months, is not enough to compensate for this. Groundwater levels decline in the summer months as most rain is used by trees and plants for growth or is lost to evaporation and we will need sustained above average rainfall during the upcoming autumn and winter to recover.

We now intend to consider introducing restrictions on water use (such as hosepipe bans) in spring 2020, if we have below average rainfall this autumn and winter.

Our central region includes Hertfordshire, west Essex and parts of Bedfordshire, Surrey and North London.

 

FREE water saving products

To help customers save water, we are offering FREE and discounted water saving products:

  • Make the most of the rain that falls and take advantage of massive discounts on water butts. Save £6.50 on 100 litre butts and £12 on 200 litre butts

  • FREE water saving shower head (not suitable for electric, digital or power showers)

  • FREE ‘Save a Flush’ bag for your toilet cistern (not suitable for dual flush toilets) – saving up to 5,000 litres over a year

For many more water saving devices or to order, please visit www.affinitywater.co.uk/savewater

 

Rainfall and groundwater levels

Groundwater levels graph

*Note, this diagram represents rainfall and water levels in our central area. For groundwater levels in our east and southeast area, please click on the map below.

To learn more about where our water comes from, please visit www.affinitywater.co.uk/water-cycle.aspx

 

 

Learn more about the groundwater levels where you are

Click on the map below to see what the water levels are like where you live

 

Affinity Water Regions Map Central Region East Region Southeast Region

 

Water saving tips

  • Turning off the tap off while we brush our teeth can save 6,500 litres of water a year.

    • Keep track of the tap logo

  • Avoid baths - take a short shower instead to save on average around 50 litres each time.

  • Hang up the hose and use a watering can instead.

  • Air your clothes and get another wear out of them, this will save you time and energy on washing too.

  • Avoid using sprinklers – sprinklers can use 1,000 litres of water per hour, the equivalent to how much a family of four use in a day and half.

 

What we're doing

  • We are focused on fixing leaks, and achieved the highest leakage reduction target in the water industry. If you spot a leak you can report it here>>

  • We are investing in our network by replacing water mains to reduce the number of bursts and leaks.

  • Working in partnership with other water companies and the Environment Agency

  • We are continuing our water saving campaign for customers, ‘Keep track of the tap’ campaign to raise awareness and help people save water.