This is why Lancashire isn't in drought and hasn't got a hose pipe ban

After what looks to be the hottest summer on record, Lancashire is officially in a prolonged dry weather area.

But so far, the county is one of only a handful of locations not in drought - and without a hose pipe ban.

United Utilities, the water supply company for the North Westm said this is unlikely to change, and the water resilience in the area was down to investment and geography.

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “There are no plans to introduce water restrictions in the North West. “Recent hot weather has led to record levels of demand. At the peak of the heatwave last month, we supplied more than 2 billion litres of water a day across the region, around 200 million litres more than normal.

“We are continuing to carefully manage supplies across our extensive integrated network, moving water to areas where it is most needed, while reducing leakage to record-low levels.

“We always encourage customers to use water wisely. A few simple changes can make a real difference in helping to ensure there is enough water for everyone to enjoy throughout the summer.”

Key facts

• United Utilities have the largest fleet of reservoirs in the country – 184.
• The company are spending £380 million on renewing 925 km of water mains replacing older pipes with modern more ductile plastic water mains that are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations. These make the network more resilient to protect against leaks and burst.
• United Utilities are currently finding and fixing around 1000 leaks a week.

Advice on how to save water

• Opt for a low-flow shower head: These use around 6 litres per minute, compared to a standard shower head, which uses 10-15 litres per minute. Over a 10-minute shower, that’s a saving of up to 90 litres of water.
• If you don’t have a dual flush, get a Cistern Displacement Device (CDD) from your water company: This simple tool can reduce each toilet flush by at least 1 litre and is often available for free from water companies. Find out more on your water company’s website
• In the kitchen avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher – scrape them instead, as modern detergents are designed to work effectively without extra rinsing and use a washing-up bowl to catch excess water - this can reduce wastage by up to 50%.
• If living in an area with a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), you can still use a watering can or bucket for the garden.
• Fill your washing machine to its recommended load size for the most efficient use of water.
• Install a rain butt to collect rainwater to use in the garden.
• Turn off the taps when brushing teeth or shaving.
• Take shorter showers.
• Fix a leaking toilet – leaky loos can waste 200-400 litres a day.