Usage per head and leakage fall, but EA warns abstraction is unsustainable

(by Karma Loveday)

The Environment Agency (EA), which licences abstraction, has said the current amount taken out of rivers, lakes and groundwaters is not sustainable. The regulator called for achieving greater water efficiency to become “a national priority” – particularly during the current drought.

The comments came as part of the EA’s 2024/25 (pre-drought) review of Water Resource Management Plans. The key findings included: 

• Average daily water use per person was 136.5 litres – “a slight decrease from the previous year but is still more than water companies would have expected and puts avoidable pressure on the environment”. (Range = from 120l/p/d at Cambridge Water to 160l/p/d at Portsmouth Water.)

• Over 62% of households in England are billed based on how much water they use. (Range = from 88.86% at South East Water to 37.8% at Portsmouth Water.)

• 12% of homes have smart water meters, with substantial differences in rollout rates across the country. (Range = from 47.7% at Anglian Water to zero smart meters at SES Water, United Utilities, Wessex Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Bristol Water.)    

• Leakage levels are at their lowest for 20 years, at around 19%. (Range = from 11.8% at Essex and Suffolk Water to 22.5% at Thames Water.) The industry has committed to reducing leakage by half by 2050, compared to 2017/18 levels. 

• Timely delivery of water supply schemes, such as new reservoirs, will be essential for delivering growth and preventing environmental harm.  

• Water companies abstracted slightly less water than the previous year – 14,636 mega litres per day (ML/d) compared to 14,664Ml/d in 2023-24. This is less than companies abstracted 20 years ago in 2005 (15,012Ml/d).