Efforts to safeguard water supplies from the risk of more frequent droughts and other challenges will be discussed when water companies meet in London next week.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) is bringing together water companies from across the South East of England to explain what action they are taking to ensure their customers’ taps do not run dry. The meeting will be open to the public.

The water watchdog said no other part of the country is more at risk of demand outstripping supply than the ‘water-stressed’ south east, as climate change and population growth continue to increase the pressure on resources.

Attendees will hear from Southern Water and other organisations about the scale of the challenge and how they are spearheading efforts to make sure taps keep running long into the future.

Affinity Water and Thames Water will also shed light on the challenges and lessons they have learned, so far, from the roll out of compulsory metering. Moving customers onto water meters is one of the measures being used to help reduce demand on supplies in the water-stressed south east.

Sir Tony Redmond, London and South East Chair for CCWater, said:

“There is no greater challenge facing water companies in our region than sustaining a reliable supply of tap water, which is something we can easily take for granted.”

“As our climate changes and we experience more hot summers, like the one we witnessed last year, using water wisely needs to become a way of life for us all.”

The meeting will start at 1pm on Tuesday 19^th March in William Goodenough House, Goodenough College in London. To register an interest in attending email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it