Anglian Water is working to protect water resources ahead of 2026, after a record-breaking hot and dry 2025 so far. Despite some of the wetter weather this autumn, including the season’s first named storm, water resources are still much lower than expected at this time of year.

The Met Office announced that nationally 2025 saw the warmest summer on record, with a mean temperature of 16.10°C between 1 June and 31 August, 1.51°C above the long-term meteorological average. This spring and summer period has also been one of the driest in the Anglian region since records began in 1899, second only to the famously dry 1976. In August, the region experienced just 30% of the long term average (LTA) rainfall that is expected for the month.

Although the East of England received some much-needed rain in September (56.8mm, or 106% of the LTA), this was the first month of just above average rainfall since January 2025. In total 10 out of the last 12 months (including a stretch of 7 months in a row) have received lower than average rainfall. Subsequently, levels in the reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources are below normal for the time of year and much more rainfall is needed to fully replenish these sources.

Around half of the water supplied to the Anglian region comes from groundwater. Despite the recent rainfall, the ground is still very dry and therefore acts as a barrier when rain falls. This limits groundwater recharge and prolongs recovery of these sources. The dry ground also puts Anglian Water’s underground network of pipes at more risk of shifting and breaking, making leaks and bursts more likely.

Ian Rule, Director of Water Services for Anglian Water said:

“As we head into autumn and winter, we’re likely to see some more rain – so it’s easy to forget what a dry year we’ve had so far. In fact, this spring and summer period was the driest since 1976. At Anglian Water, we operate in the driest part of the country, so we’ve been working for decades to make sure we’re ready for drought – investing in projects like our strategic pipeline which will transport water from wetter parts of our region to the driest areas that need it most. This longstanding investment in resilience is one of the reasons why we didn’t reach the triggers to implement restrictions this year.

“Despite some recent rainfall though, we’ve still got a really long way to go. Our modelling suggests that for water resources to return to normal levels we will need a significant amount of consistent rainfall this winter – more than 100% of the usual rainfall every month until next April. This means we need to see more rainfall over the next six months than we’ve had across the entirety of 2025 so far!

“While our water supplies are currently secure, our teams we will be working around the clock this winter to ensure as much as of the rainfall we receive goes towards supporting the environment and the recharge of our sources. We are also continuing to ask our customers to support us with this by using a ‘little less’ wherever they can. If we experience a drier than average winter, then we will take further action to ensure we protect water resources ahead of summer 2026.”

The East of England is one of the driest regions in the country and has a delicate environmental balance. The multiple heatwaves and the extremely dry weather experienced this year are just some of the weather challenges that are becoming more common as a result of global climate change. It is also one of the fastest growing regions, with predicted population growth of over 700,000 people over the next 20 years.

To help build resilience and ensure there are plentiful supplies of safe, quality water now and in the future, Anglian Water is already investing heavily today to prepare for tomorrow. As part of its biggest ever business plan, worth £11bn, by the end of the decade the water company will complete its strategic pipeline to move water around the region, as well as finalise plans to begin building two new reservoirs.

Ian added: “Water is a precious resource, and we see ourselves as its custodians, responsible for balancing the needs of customers with those of the environment. However, everyone has a role to play to support the environment - we all need to work together and that includes relying on our customers to use water wisely.”

Anglian Water’s top easy ways to save water during autumn and winter:

• Catch those raindrops: If you’ve got a bucket or an old bin, you’ve got a DIY waterbutt.  Place a container in your garden to catch those precious raindrops. If you already have a water butt, you can fill your watering can 27 times for free, per butt! Perfect for saving up water for when your garden really needs it in the warmer months to come.
• Check your weather app and let the rain do all the work: If we're due some rain, put those watering cans away and let the rain clouds do all of the hard work.  Keeping your garden watered over the autumn and winter. It'll use less water and save you some money at the same time.
• Mulch, mulch, mulch: Adding mulch, wood chip or bark to your garden beds allows the rain to penetrate through whilst minimising the amount of water lost due to evaporation.  It also helps to keep weeds out, so you still have lovely neat beds in spring. Weeds also compete with your plants for water and nutrients, so keeping them at bay will help young plants flourish while saving water and money.
• Choose your plants wisely: Autumn is the time for planting, so try to plant some low maintenance, drought-tolerant plants. They’ll look beautiful and won’t need much watering – saving water and money.

For more top tips visit Anglian Water’s water saving page.