Water restrictions in the pipeline.

One of the driest winters in over 100 years has prompted the Thames Water Authority to issue a drought warning and to threaten a hosepipe ban for some time in August. Despite the rainy weather this summer, the level of water in British reservoirs and waterways is worryingly low and customers in the South East are being asked to reduce their water consumption. Thames Water is doing its bit, spending 90 million on fixing leaky water pipes, which account for a loss of an astonishing 112 million litres a day. They have 300 two-man teams working on pipelines throughout the region carrying out repairs on a day-to-day basis. However customers are being asked to save water as well. A short film has been released on Thames Waters website explaining the steps being taken by the authority to combat the drought and suggesting some practical ways for householders to limit water wastage too. For example, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 9 litres of water a minute whilst using a sprinkler can devour in an hour the average daily water consumption of a family of four. Water is precious, even in damp, drizzly London, and as a spokesman from Thames Water said: it is the responsibility of the whole community to make the best use of it possible.