With climate change and a growing population likely to place ever greater strains on vital water resources, a new report released today by water sector regulator Ofwat explores the potential options to help cut demand for water over the next 50 years.
The report, The long term potential for deep reductions in household water demand, looks at what demand for water might be in 2065. It shows that on average, we currently use about 140 litres of water per person per day in England and Wales, up from 85 litres per person in the 1960s.
The report’s findings also reveal that tackling household leaks and using innovative technologies could help to decrease water usage by two thirds – or over one bath per person per day - over the next 50 years.
Climate change is going to have a significant but unpredictable impact on the water sector, while projections suggest the UK population could grow by upwards of 10 million people over the next 20 to 30 years.
The main way in which water companies have met rising demand in the past has been through measures including taking more water from the environment and building infrastructure to store it. However, new solutions are now needed to avoid the potential environmental and structural problems of the previous approach.
The report says that strong leadership is needed to ensure that water companies, government, regulators, the supply chain, academia, innovators and others work in a concerted and coordinated way.
It is also calling for all domestic properties to be metered to facilitate future savings through customer behaviour, utility services, water saving technologies and further research on tariffs. Other measures include:
- Updating planning rules to require new developments to be water efficient, e.g. through community rainwater harvesting and water reuse.
- Making performance data openly available to encourage and facilitate innovation in services and technologies.
Launching the report, John Russell, Ofwat’s Senior Director of Strategy and Planning, said:
“With a fifty-year time horizon, we can afford to look beyond the current constraints, to think about the deep reductions that consumers could make, if we all work together. As well as being an important resource for our future price reviews – and to an extent the one that’s gearing up now - we hope that this study provokes discussion in the sector.”
Key conclusions contained in the report include:
- It is possible to achieve average household consumption of between 50 and 70 l/head/day in 50 years without a reduction in the level of utility or quality of water use, but this will not be delivered by the industry working in isolation.
- Technologies and services exist now that can deliver these savings if implemented more widely.
- Potential costs and implications are outside the scope of this project, and should be addressed in future studies.
- Delivering long term deeper demand savings requires greater awareness of water scarcity issues in the UK, combined with greater leadership in moving this whole area forward.
- Actions are required now to move beyond ‘business as usual’ and start to deliver the reductions needed to meet future long term challenges.
Nicci Russell, Managing Director of Waterwise, said:
“We share Ofwat's appetite for more ambitious water efficiency - for customers, the environment, society and the economy. Why not cut water use by half in the next 50 years? That time period brings a wealth of opportunities. We all have a role to play, and strong relationships with customers will be really important, alongside innovation. We should get the basics right too - we shouldn't be fitting or selling products that leak or waste water! We look forward to working with government and the sector to set an ambitious target for England and Wales."
Rob Lawson, Project Director at Artesia Consulting, who produced the report for Ofwat, added that the research shows what reductions in consumption are possible and expressed hope that it would move the debate forward in the sector.
Click here to download ‘The long term potential for deep reductions in household water demand’ in full
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