WITH Dorset now official in environmental drought, we're all being urged to use water more wisely.

Although Wessex Water says it has no plans to restrict usage at the moment, the Environment Agency says anything we can do to help conserve water supplies will help stave off the possibility of hosepipe bans.

There's more information about what exactly being in drought means at the links below, but in brief: rain is needed over winter to keep groundwater levels steady. Summer rain is relied on to top up reservoirs and keep rivers flowing freely.

Short bursts of rain aren't enough to top up groundwater, because it takes longer for the water to seep into the earth. Low groundwater levels cause problems for plants and wildlife - for example frogs and toads are suffering because ponds where they would normally lay their spawn are dry.

We're collecting your ideas for how to save water, but here are a few tips to get started.

Wessex Water will send you, for free, a water saving pack which includes a widget that screws into your shower head, saving 11,000 litres of water a year and an inflatable bag to put in your toilet cistern which saves a litre of water with each flush.

You can buy bath water syphons that let you reuse bath water in the garden and there's some Thames Water advice on water butts here.

Do you use any water saving devices? Do you have any tips to share? Will you change your water habits at all or carry on regardless? Let us know in the comments.