Hosepipe bans could be introduced because companies not prepared for drought

Dry summer conditions across the south of England
Dry summer conditions across the south of England

Hosepipe bans could be introduced during a drought because water companies are insufficiently prepared for one, the Environment Agency has said.

Four companies - Portsmouth, Bristol, Cambridge and South Staffordshire Water- may not have enough water during a drought and need to do more to boost their supplies and better manage demand, it said in a new report.

It found that almost a fifth of water supplies are being lost through leaks before they reach customers’ taps, a figure that has barely reduced in recent years.

Widespread hosepipe bans were brought in during the summer of 2022, as Britain faced one of its worst droughts in history. Since then, record levels of rain have shored up supply.

The EA warned water companies were struggling to increase supplies and reduce water demand and leakage, causing supply levels to fall below target.

Thames Water and United Utilities were identified as having the worst leakage rates per person.

It also found leakage got worse in many areas of England last year, despite a lack of weather extremes that exacerbate pipe bursts.

‘Vampiric water companies’

James Wallace, the CEO of River Action said: “Water is the lifeblood of our economy. Everything from growing crops and healthy people to cooling IT hubs and factories relies on abundant clean water.

“Instead of treasuring every drop, vampiric water companies suck money out of their customers while wasting billions of litres of our most precious resource.

“Despite heavy rains and decades of warning, they cannot even guarantee drinking water during a drought and threaten not just our livelihoods but our lives.”

The EA report said some water companies were behind on their programmes to install water meters, and more work is needed to reduce demand.

The Government wants to reduce water consumption by 20 per cent by 2038 amid warnings that some parts of the country could run out of water within 25 years.

The Environment Agency warns that by 2050 five billion extra litres of water will be needed a day, a shortfall which will have to be met through resources, efficiency and reducing demand.

Alan Lovell, the EA’s chairman, said: “In the face of the enormous challenges on water resources, we have to tackle both sides of the equation - reducing demand and increasing supply.

“While we’ve seen some progress by companies, it’s clear that more planning, resources and investment are needed, particularly on leakage.

“We expect water companies to accelerate their plans to increase water efficiency, reduce leakage and prepare for future droughts.

“We will continue to work closely with Ofwat and Defra to hold water companies accountable and ensure they deliver on their commitments to protect our environment and secure our water supply for future generations.”

‘We must fix our broken water infrastructure’

Emma Hardy, the water minister, said: “This report is a damning indictment of the sheer volume of water that is wasted by water companies across England.

“As the climate crisis worsens and more pressure is placed on our water systems, we must fix our broken water infrastructure to ensure we have a resilient future water supply.”

Bristol Water said: “We did not need to implement customer restrictions during the 2022 drought and we have forecasted a surplus of water in drought conditions throughout our Water Resource Management Plan 24 which is the long-term strategic plan for water resources.

“In 2023/2024 we reported a supply-demand surplus in our annual review of performance.”

Portsmouth, Cambridge and South Staffordshire Water were contacted for comment.