Water efficiency must become national priority says EA
2025-11-21
Water efficiency must become national priority says EA
Environment Agency urges water companies to speed up fixing of leaks
England cannot continue to take water for granted, the Environment Agency has warned in a new report examining the country’s latest water usage.
While world leaders conclude climate talks in Brazil, the regulator has said achieving greater water efficiency at home must become a national priority – particularly during the current drought.
The EA has said the current amount taken out of rivers, lakes and groundwaters is not sustainable. It has called on everyone, including water companies, regulators, and consumers to play their part to use our water wisely.
The Environment Act set an ambitious target to reduce the use of public water supply per person by 20% by the end of March 2038 to protect the environment and secure drinking supplies.
So far about a quarter of that reduction has been achieved. The EA has called for a fast rollout of millions of smart meters to help people understand their water use – and reduce their water bills.
It has also said the work done by water companies to help consumers use less water during this year’s drought must continue – as well as more work to cut leakage.
Helen Wakeham, EA Director of Water, said:
"Climate change and population growth are putting a tremendous strain on resources and this year’s drought is a stark reminder that we all need to be more mindful of our consumption."
"There is reason for optimism – we have the knowledge and technology to act on leakage and find new sources of water."
"But the next few years are critical. We need a concerted effort by water companies, regulators, the government, and society at large to work together to protect this precious resource."
The warnings come as part of the EA’s annual review of Water Resource Management Plans – analysing documents produced annually by each water company as part of their obligation to secure water supplies for the future.
The review looked at various metrics - such as demand, leakage, and metering - across the 24/25 financial year, which is immediately before the current drought took hold.
The key findings:
- CONSUMPTION: Average daily water use per person is 136.5 litres. This is a slight decrease from the previous year but is still more than water companies would have expected and puts avoidable pressure on the environment.
- METERS: In 2024–2025, over 62% of households in England are billed based on how much water they use. In total around 12% of homes have smart water meters, which allow customers to understand their real time usage and helps water companies to pinpoint leaks in the system. There are substantial differences in rollout rates across the country.
- LEAKAGE: Leakage levels are at their lowest for 20 years. However, the amount lost by water companies before reaching customers’ taps is still too high at around 19%. The industry has committed to reducing leakage by half by 2050, compared to 2017/18 levels.
- SUPPLY SCHEMES: Timely delivery of water supply schemes, such as new reservoirs, is essential for delivering growth and preventing environmental harm.
- ABSTRACTION: Water companies abstracted slightly less water than the previous year – 14,636 mega litres per day (million litres per day) from the environment compared to 14,664 mega litres per day in 2023-24. This is less than companies abstracted 20 years ago in 2005 at 15,012 mega litres per day.
Detailed letters are being sent to water companies jointly from the EA, Ofwat and Defra setting out the actions they need to take next on water security.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
"We face growing pressures on our water and, with a changing climate, we will see more frequent droughts."
"We are driving long-term change in the water industry, with £104billion of private investment. This will help the building of nine new reservoirs and replace broken pipes to reduce unnecessary leakages."
"Saving water benefits everyone. It reduces both water and energy bills whilst leaving more water in the environment to help reduce the risk of future drought."
The report concludes that this current financial year will be critical for the sector, with bill rises coming into effect.
As well as investing in new pipes to cut leakage, the industry has committed to building nine new reservoirs before 2050, alongside other new supply schemes.
The weekend saw heavy rainfall and flooding as Storm Claudia battered many parts of the country. But many areas are still in drought following record-low rainfall this year, with the EA warning of potentially worsening conditions next year.
The regulator has again called on water companies to maintain the intensity of their drought planning and learn from past challenges.
In the meantime, the government is making progress on introducing mandatory water efficiency labelling in white goods, such as washing machines. Proposals to improve the water efficiency standards in new buildings are also out for consultation.
[출처 = 영국 정부(UK GOV)(Water efficiency must become national priority says EA - GOV.UK) / 11월 18일]
