Anglian Water has provided a fresh update on its hosepipe ban after a few days of brief rainfall in Essex.
The ban, which was confirmed on July 11, restricts hosepipe use in areas including Colchester and covers activities such as garden watering, vehicle cleaning, and filling swimming pools or hot tubs.
It is the region's first hosepipe ban since 2012 and follows a period of extreme heat and prolonged dry weather.
In the past few days, Essex has experienced its first rainfall in weeks, with more forecast across the coming days, according to the Met Office.
However, Anglian Water has said a brief period of rainfall is not enough to reverse the effects caused by months of dry weather.
A spokesperson for Anglian Water said: "While any rainfall is welcome in the East of England at the moment, a few days of wet weather won't reverse the effects of many months of exceptionally dry conditions.
"Despite a couple of wet winter months, the East of England has experienced its second driest spring on record this year, and July was the UK’s sunniest and driest on record, with just 0.8mm of rainfall on average across the East of England (1% of the long-term average rainfall expected for this time of year).
"These sources take time to recover and require sustained periods of rainfall over a much longer period, typically during the autumn and winter months.
"Rainfall during hotter, drier periods is also less effective because hard, dry ground absorbs less water, making it more difficult to replenish groundwater supplies.
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"We're continuing to closely monitor conditions and restrictions will remain in place for as long as they're needed to help protect water supplies and the environment.
"The sooner water resources recover, the sooner restrictions can be lifted.
"We'd like to thank customers for their continued support.
"Every litre saved helps protect our region's water resources and gives rivers, reservoirs and groundwater a better chance to recover."
Exemptions still apply for those on the Priority Service Register, and for health and safety needs, animal welfare, religious observance, and certain business uses.
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