Over three billion litres of water leaks from our water companies every day according to data obtained by the Guardian showing that over half of water companies are not required to reduce their leakages before 2015.
Despite the wettest April on record, millions of people across the UK are facing a hosepipe ban for the rest of the year and drought has been declared in southern and central England. Damian Carrington writes:
Ofwat and the water industry highlight a one-third reduction in leakages since privatisation, but over the past 12 years, year-on-year leakages have increased as often as they have fallen, suggesting no long-term downward trend.
The average annual customer bill for water has risen by £64 since 2001 and is now £376, while the companies collectively made £2bn in pre-tax profits and paid £1.5bn in dividends to shareholders in 2010-11.
The data from regulator Ofwat shows some suprising results by water company – more than half of water companies won’t have to reduce their leakages at all before 2015. The chart below shows how estimated water leakages have changed over time.
Here are some of the key points from the figures:
• From 1998-2011 there was only a 5% cut in leaks by the 21 water companies serving England and Wales
• 1.5% cut in leaks – the target for the next 4 years (to 2014-15)
• 10% – the target for the next 25 years according to Ofwat
• 11 of the 21 water companies have zero % leak targets for years up to 2014-15
• Southern water, which missed its leak target (again) in 2010-11 by 16%, is allowed to *increase* leakage by 6% by 2014-15
• 3.36bn litres of water a day are currently being leaked, and aiming for 3.24bn by 2014-15 – roughly 25% of all water
• Average bills have risen by £64 in last decade to £376 a year
The tables below show company targets up to 2014-15. Data showing figures for company estimates of total leakage (MI/d) from 1998-99 to 2010-11 can be found in the spreadsheet.What can you do with the data?
Data summary
Company estimates of total leakage – megalitres per day (Ml/d)
Click heading to sort table. Download this data
SOURCE: OFWAT
Anglian
230
212
212
211
211
211
-0.5
Dŵr Cymru
199
190
188
186
185
184
-3.2
Northumbrian-North East
158
150
147
144
141
141
-6.0
Northumbrian-Essex Suffolk
65
66
66
66
66
66
0.0
Severn Trent
497
483
474
468
456
453
-6.2
South West
84
84
84
84
84
84
0.0
Southern
96
83
93
90
89
88
6.0
Thames
665
674
673
673
673
673
-0.1
United Utilities
464
464
464
464
463
463
-0.2
Wessex
71
71
71
71
71
71
0.0
Yorkshire
325
297
297
297
297
297
0.0
Sembcorp Bournemouth
22
22
22
22
22
21
-4.5
Bristol
50
52
51
50
49
49
-5.8
Cambridge
13.7
14.0
14.0
14.0
14.0
14.0
0.0
Dee Valley
9.92
10.2
10.2
10.2
10.2
10.2
0.0
Portsmouth
30
30
30
30
30
30
0.0
South East
95
95
95
94
94
93
-2.1
South Staffordshire
73
74
74
74
74
74
0.0
Sutton East Surrey
25
25
25
25
25
25
0.0
Veolia Water Central
181
185
185
185
185
185
0.0
Veolia Water East
5.02
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.1
0.0
Veolia Water South East
7.21
7.9
7.8
7.7
7.6
7.5
-5.1
Whole industry
3,365
3,294
3,288
3,271
3,252
3,245
-1.5
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Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/may/08/water-companies-leaks-target-drought
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