Thames Water warns that summer hosepipes drive up demand

Rising temperatures and drought have not curbed water habits across the UK, with millions using more water than a year ago.

According to new research from Thames Water, seven million people - 13 per cent of the population - report higher year-on-year water use, despite drought conditions and the hottest summer on record in 2025.

Andrew Tucker, water reduction manager at Thames Water, said: "We’re seeing the impact of hotter, drier weather across the UK and while more people are aware of the need to save water, this isn’t always reflected in usage."

The main reasons for increased water use include more frequent bathing and showering (28 per cent), gardening and watering plants (27 per cent), and extra household cleaning (26 per cent).

Nearly one in 10 people still use lawn sprinklers during the summer, with each sprinkler using up to 166 litres of water every 10 minutes.

Average water consumption in the Thames Water region stands at around 140 litres per person per day.

The national target is to reduce this to 122 litres by 2038.

Mr Tucker said: "At Thames Water we’re continuing to invest in leak reduction, smart meter installations, water efficiency and mains replacement as part of our biggest upgrade in 150 years for the benefit of our customers and the environment.

"We can’t do this alone, it’s important that customers and businesses work with us to save water where they can and play their part in protecting our vital resources."

A surge in demand was recorded during the second May bank holiday weekend, with temperatures reaching their peak on May 25, and driving more than one billion litres of extra water use across London and the South East.

Water-saving habits are not widely taught, the survey found, with 36 per cent of adults saying they were not taught how to save water and 34 per cent not encouraged to do so as children.

Thames Water recommends simple ways to save water over the summer, including fixing leaks, turning off taps while brushing teeth, switching to watering cans instead of hosepipes or sprinklers, and watering gardens early in the morning or late in the evening.

It is currently delivering its largest infrastructure upgrade in 150 years.

This includes pipe replacement, leak reduction, and accelerated smart meter installation across the Thames Valley.

To date, more than 1.3 million smart meters have been installed, identifying over 135,000 customer-side leaks.

Thames Water has recently partnered with Origin Tech to use its AI-powered satellite leak detection system, Origin Orbit, in its ongoing operations.