Yorkshire Water has reached a major milestone in its ambitious smart meter programme, with 100,000 water meters now successfully upgraded across the region.

Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat are calling on a number of water companies to take further action following the regulators’ assessment of the individual utilities’ Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) Annual Review 2025.

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee will continue its inquiry into drought preparedness in England this week by exploring the role of water resource planning for drought resilience, including assessing the robustness of currents plans and modelling for future supply and demand.

The Environment Agency is warning that despite some progress made by the water companies in England in reducing leakage and managing water demand, both remain unacceptably high and exceed national forecasts.

Figures released by Northumbrian Water has shown that between January and June the number of leaky pipes repaired has increased by 45 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024.

Uisce Éireann are starting work today on critical upgrade works, replacing over 5.4km of aged water mains with new pipes along the N55.

Uisce Éireann is set to commence essential water main replacement works in Knockdrin, Co Westmeath, which will improve the security of water supply and significantly reduce high levels of leakage in the area.

Southern Water has been able to cut the average time spent on suitable repair jobs from three hours to 15 minutes; new tech is set to dramatically cut the time needed to repair water pipes.

The Environment Agency is warning that England faces a massive 5 billion litre a day shortfall for public water supplies by 2055 without urgent action to futureproof resources – and a further 1 billion litre a day deficit for the wider economy.

Southern Water has recorded a record breaking year for finding and fixing leaks – thanks to new technology on the streets and in the control room.