It might not be the most surprising revelation after Suffolk's floods - but Anglian Water bosses are confident we won't face a drought next summer!

Water supplies are already where they would normally be expected to be at the end of the winter - late February/early March.

And we've still got some of what are normally the wettest months of the year to come!

Alton Water, near Ipswich, is 98% full and across the region the company's reservoirs are 88% full - that's 20% up on this time last year.

River and groundwater levels are much higher than at this time last year and a spokeswoman for the company said this all suggested there was unlikely to be a drought declared in 2024.

However, the growing population of the area and increasing demand do put added strain on the region's resources - East Anglia remains the driest part of the country.

An Anglian Water spokeswoman said: "In the longer term, our newly published Thriving East report projects that by 2043, temperatures in Suffolk are set to increase by more than the national average as rainfall hits record lows.

"Over the same period, Suffolk is likely to see a 6% increase in population – and all of these factors will put significant pressure on the amount of water available."

Across the region the company is planning two major new reservoirs in the Fens and in southern Lincolnshire.

And it is also planning a number of improvements in Suffolk - including collecting more storm water to improve the quality of the River Deben Estuary, building a new water recycling plant in West Suffolk and reducing phosphorous in water in chalk streams.

Peter Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Water, said: “Our purpose is to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve. Our region relies on water to facilitate economic growth, tourism, and to feed a significant part of the population."