WALTER the Waterman has got a lot of bottle and that is the way he wants to keep it.Today, Walter - aka Anglian Water environmental adviser Colin Green - was in Ipswich to deliver a special water-saving message as Suffolk sizzles in the summer.

WALTER the Waterman has got a lot of bottle and that is the way he wants to keep it.

Today, Walter - aka Anglian Water environmental adviser Colin Green - was in Ipswich to deliver a special water-saving message as Suffolk sizzles in the summer.

Although the county is not currently under a hosepipe ban, the milkman for a day was in town to illustrate how many pintas could be saved with a little more forethought. To compare water with a valuable resource such as milk makes it easier for Anglian Water to get its message across.

'Walter' said: “This is a very subtle and gentle message about the amounts of water than can be used on non-essential things.

“You have your milk delivered, but could you imagine having your water delivered in the same way.”

Part of today's message was aimed at people using sprinklers to keep their gardens green instead of using rainwater from water butts.

Around 880 pints are wasted in just 30 minutes by people using garden sprinklers to keep their lawns green. That is the same amount needed to serve a family-of-four for a day.

'Walter' said: “It's a waste of resource watering a lawn. The first good shower and the green comes back.”

He also gave a few useful tips to gardeners such as selecting plants which have very thin leaves as only a small amount of water will evaporate. Plants with hairy leaves will also hold on to moisture.

Anglian Water spokesman Dan Baker backed 'Walter's' call to save water wherever possible. He said: 'As we live in the driest region in the country it is important for us all to conserve water.

“Due to careful management of these limited resources, coupled with our consistent record for having one of the lowest leakage rates in the UK, Anglian Water is confident that supply to customers will not be compromised in the short term and we do not anticipate a hosepipe ban.”

WEBLINK: www.anglianwater.co.uk

Water factfile

N A dripping taps wastes seven pints a day

N Leaving a tap running while cleaning teeth means a family of four will waste the equivalent of 20 buckets of water a month

N An average bath uses 80 litres of water

N A power shower uses more water than the average bath

N Garden sprinklers uses 880 pints in the time it takes to watch Coronation Street

N A standard water butt can collect 5,000 litres of rainwater a year

N Washing machines account for 14 per cent of water used in the home

N Anglian Water has one of the lowest leakage rates in the country

N The company spends more than £15million repairing around 24,000 leaks a year

N Its reservoirs are currently 90 per cent full