On a rainy day it can be difficult to believe, but it's true: Cambridgeshire is facing serious water challenges†.
As one of the country's driest and warmest regions, with a growing population and rising modern water usage, Cambridge is officially water stressed. In fact, forecasts predict population growth of 6%, leading to a 13% increase in water demand by 2043.
Over the next two decades, Cambridge Water also needs to significantly reduce the amount of water abstracted from local aquifers, the same sources that supply our chalk streams and rivers.
These challenges combined mean that, if we don't act now, we will run out of water.
By taking less water from our local environment, we'll protect and restore chalk streams and their habitats for the future.
Yes We Cam...Reduce our leaks
At Cambridge Water, we know a big frustration for our customers is seeing leaks in the network. As your water supplier, we feel exactly the same. Every litre saved is a litre that helps protect the future of Cambridgeshire's chalk streams.
Between 2025 and 2030, we'll be investing £224 million in water services. As well as reducing leaks, we'll be focusing on maintaining high-quality water and ensuring a reliable, resilient supply.
This includes:
What we've done so far
In the first year of our current five-year business plan, we've
And that's not all!
Working in partnership with Anglian Water, we're
Together, these initiatives will help reduce the pressure on local groundwater sources and improve water resilience for years to come.
Thank you for checking your loos!
We're committed to doing our bit at the same time.
Why check your loos >
The story behind Yes We Cam: Check Our Loos
Recent customer research** showed that myths around leaky loos are really common.
As leaky loos are one of the biggest hidden causes of wasted water in the home, we decided to launch Yes We Cam: Check Our Loos to demystify the problem - and help our customers fix leaks, save money and help save our local chalk streams.
Only 6% of customers think a leaky loo could lose at least 250 litres of water a day. The true figure is up to 400 litres*!
Why should I check my loos? >
28% would only check their loos if they suspect there's an issue - making it easy for a sneaky silent leak to be missed.
Leaky loo mythbusters >
Over three quarters would check their loos once a month, after knowing the potential cost of a hidden leak down the back of the bowl.
How to check your loos >
45% of the people had experienced a leaky loo before:
- Just over one-third called a plumber
- A quarter fixed it themselves with no help
- Just over 1 in 5 fixed it themselves with help they found online
How to fix a leaky loo >
*Based on an average dual-flush toilet losing up to 400 litres a day in a metered household, using water costs of £0.003998 per litre. View our latest charges. View Anglian Water's standard charges for sewerage services. **Online survey completed by 564 Cambridge Water customers between 13 April and 3 May, 2026. †Cambridge Water Scarcity Group.