Everyone must find a way to save water to help limit the effects of drought, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said today following a major summit. This came on the same day it was announced that the South East is now officially in drought.

The summit, which was called by the Environment Secretary after another year of much lower than average rainfall, brought together key players in the water industry to discuss what is already being done to tackle drought and to decide upon actions that need to be taken to mitigate against its impact in the future.

As parts of the UK have been affected by droughts for many months and prolonged periods of heavy rainfall in the near future are unlikely according to recent Met Office forecasts, the Environment Secretary urged water companies, businesses, and people to find ways of reducing water waste and water usage.