Another dry winter in 2005 left water levels in the UK's rivers and reservoirs way below normal.

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© Simon ScoonesThe scorching temperatures of July 2006 made the situation worse. The UK had its worst drought in my lifetime! Click on the map to see how the drought hit different parts of the UK.

Which part of the UK seemed to get the worst of this drought? Along with potato farmers who else might worry a lot about it?

Last summer we had a hosepipe ban in our area and there were lots of TV adverts about saving water. I don't get it – it seems to be raining here most of the time!

Yes, Harry, but we use an amazing amount of water without realising it – even in our own homes! A British person uses an average of 155 litres of water a day. What's more, modern homes have more and more machines that use water.

Have a go at our 'Wicked Water Facts' quiz to find out how much water we use for everyday jobs.

WOW! That is a lot of water, I never realised it took so much to do all these things.

Download and print the survey to investigate how much water you use in your home. Afterwards compare your results with your classmates – which household in the class uses the most?

Some households use a lot of water. Click on the icon to read a story about the Waste-a-lot family's morning. How many examples of wasting water can you find? Click on each one to reveal the awful facts about their water-wasting habits!

Gosh, they did waste a lot. What can we do to stop such a waste?

Why don't you write the Waste-a-lots a letter to tell them how they are wasting water and what they can do to save it? Use these websites to give you some ideas
Environment Agency - Saving water in the home
Environment Agency - Saving water in the garden

Think about what type of letter you are going to write. Will it be a formal letter or an informal letter? How will you set it out?

Or you could have a class competition to design the most water-wise house and garden! See who can come up with the most ways to save water!