The amount of water lost through leakage has risen for the second year running – the Consumer Council for Water is calling for water companies to take action now to tackle the problem. According to CCWater’s latest report on resilience, Water, water everywhere? published today, overall leakage levels rose by 1.5% in 2017-18, with nine companies failing to meet their leakage targets for the year – Bristol Water, Dee Valley Water, Cambridge Water, South Staffs Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Portsmouth Water, Severn Trent Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water.
Average water consumption has also increased by 0.23% to 141 litres per person, per day, a total rise of 1.14% over the past two years. Regulator Ofwat has set a challenge for companies to reduce leakage by 15% between 2020 and 2025 – however, the hot, dry early summer has highlighted the pressures on available water resources.