Take an 'egg timer' into the shower say water companies as South East declared in drought There are also concerns for "iconic" wildlife like kingfishers, water voles and trout. Some rivers and groundwater levels are lower than 1976 when thousands died of heat stress, wild fires broke out and food prices went up. Following a crisis summit with water companies, farmers and wildlife groups Mrs Spelman said the best way to ensure the situation is not repeated is to start saving water now. "Drought is already an issue this year with the South East, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall," she said. Anglian Water and South East Water, the main water companies in the affected regions, are issuing advice to help save water and giving out free shower timers. In the past the advice has focused on telling people to take a shower rather than a bath. However this only saves water if it is a short shower. It is estimated cutting your shower time by just one minute can save nine litres of water The waterproof "shower timers" are digital or an hour glass that works like an egg timer but sucks onto wet tiles, giving people four minutes to wash themselves. South East has handed out 5,000 and Anglian Water has sent out 25,000 in the last year. Households are also being encouraged to fit aerated shower heads, put a "hippo" in the toilet cistern to save water on flushing and turn the tap off when brushing teeth. Significant savings can also be made by fixing dripping taps, only watering plants that need it with a watering can and filling the washing machine or dishwasher before putting on a load. The average person in the UK uses a huge amount of water, using up 150 litres of water a day compared to just 127 litres per person in Germany. The Department for the Environment estimates that this could be cut by at least 20 litres per person. If water is not saved then water companies are allowed to bring in restrictions under threat of a fine that limit the use of hosepipes and ban "unnecessary" use of water like filling swimming pools. Already Anglian Water has been issued with drought permits to refill two of its reservoirs. Thames Water is also applying for permits to pump more water out of rivers. There may be showers in the next few days but according to the Met office, there is only a 15 per cent chance of the of the next three months being abnormally wet. Meanwhile in the north of the country and Scotland there has been more rainfall than normal exaggerating the normal North West/ South East divide. Water companies are even considering exporting water from wetter areas in the north and west to areas like Anglia and the South East, that are considered to be drier per head than parts of the Mediterranean. "Water trading" would mean better interconnections between regions or a "national grid" for water.