Fit every home with water meter by 2020, says Environment Agency

Climate change and population growth could lead to serious shortages without universal metering, warns chief executive

David Adam, environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 March 2009 00.05 BST

Every home in London and south-east England should be fitted with a water meter within six years, according to experts at the Environment Agency who say the move is needed to conserve dwindling water supplies.
The agency says water companies and the government must accelerate plans to roll out the meters, and wants one fitted to every home in England and Wales by 2020. Water-stressed areas such as the south-east should have them by 2015, it says.
Paul Leinster, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: "People and businesses need to use less water and wasting water needs to cost a lot more." He said climate change and population growth could lead to serious shortages. "There may not be enough water in England and Wales in the future for people and the environment unless we start planning and acting now. We need a joined-up approach to this problem to prevent it becoming a crisis."
The call for universal metering is included in a report published by the agency today which looks at the water situation over the coming decades. It calls for a review of the structure of the water industry, to allow water companies to better share supplies, and actions to reduce water consumption to help lower UK carbon emissions. Households with meters typically use at least 10% less water, the agency says.
It says water resources are already under pressure in many parts of the country, with some 25 million people living in areas with less available water per person than Spain and Morocco. The average Briton uses 148 litres each day.
Global warming is expected to lead to more frequent heavy downpours and greater risk of flooding, but overall the amount of water in rivers across England and Wales is predicted to drop 10 to 15% by 2050. The water level could decline 80% during the summer.
The agency report says a potential 20 million increase in the population will place "even greater pressure on the country's limited water supplies". By 2020, demand for water could rise by 5%, or 800m litres a day – enough to fill 4.6m bathtubs. It also warns that the impacts of climate change on the viability of growing crops and making goods in other countries could result in some of that activity moving to the UK, further increasing pressure on supplies.
To meet the rising demand the agency wants ministers to look again at how the water industry is regulated and structured. It says the current division along company boundaries makes little sense, and that neighbouring companies should be able to better share water resources. The agency calls for other sectors to follow the food industry in setting targets to reduce water use.
The report highlights the close relationship between water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The transport, heating and treatment of water accounts for more than 6% of Britain's carbon footprint – more than the aviation industry. Water meters in every household would reduce use and save up to 1.6m tonnes of carbon pollution each year, the agency says.
Reduced demand for water would also help the wider environment by protecting wetland habitats and wildlife.
The Environment Agency says water efficient products and regulations for new buildings are needed too. It suggests VAT is removed or reduced on the most efficient appliances such as washing machines, to help steer consumer choice. And it wants better labelling to make clear which devices waste the most water.
The strategy report also calls for more stringent water efficiency standards for fixtures, fittings and appliances, as well as tighter standards for new buildings built in drought-prone regions.