England Faced With 5 Billion Litre Daily Shortfall By 2055

A five billion litre daily shortfall in public water supplies could be the reality for England by 2055 as a result of the combined pressures of a growing population, climate change and emerging technologies, as well as the need to protect the natural environment.

This is according to the Environment Agency, which has just issued a warning to this effect unless urgent action is taken now to safeguard resources for the future.

It is expected that 60 per cent of this deficit will be addressed by water companies, which will manage demand and reduce water leaks dramatically, with plans to cut leaks by 17 per cent in the next five years and by 50 per cent come 2050.

The other 40 per cent of the shortfall will be made up by boosting supply, such as through water transfer schemes and new reservoir construction.

Further recommended action includes mandatory efficiency labelling for household appliances like toilets, showers and dishwashers, and infrastructure like desalination schemes and water recycling schemes.

Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “The nation’s water resources are under huge and steadily increasing pressure. This deficit threatens not only the water from your tap but also economic growth and food production. Taking water unsustainably from the environment will have a disastrous impact on our rivers and wildlife.

“We need to tackle these challenges head-on and strengthen work on coordinated action to preserve this precious resource and our current way of life.”

Smart meter rollout

Another strategy being prioritised by water companies is the introduction of smart meters. Currently, firms have committed to rolling out ten million more of these meters to help customers – domestic and non-domestic – understand how much water they’re using and where wastage may be taking place.

For businesses, automated meter reading can help drive maximum savings, with water usage monitored continuously site-wide. This means that any issues can be identified early on, allowing for the introduction of appropriate water-saving solutions over time.

Smart meters enable you to see how much water is being used at hourly intervals by measuring water flow. If a sudden spike in flow is seen, it’s an indication that there’s a problem somewhere, such as a leak.

Installing a data logger is one of the best and most immediate ways to reduce water consumption and supply costs, so you’ll not only save significant amounts of water but you’ll save money at the same time.

You’ll likely see a positive return on investment in just a couple of weeks, will be able to take full advantage of more accurate billing, be able to spot leaks and other problems quickly and maintain both water and cost savings over time.

Reducing commercial water costs

Automated meter reading is one of the most effective strategies if you want to reduce business water costs and improve your water footprint (which will also look good in the eyes of consumers).

You can break down water usage analysis by building, tenant, department, equipment and shift to build up a much clearer picture of how and where you use resources.

Different sites can also be compared, peaks and troughs identified, and so on, so you can enjoy full visibility over your water usage. Ongoing leak monitoring is also delivered, so you’re insured against unpredictable crises in the future – one of the biggest benefits of these water meters.

The majority of leaks either take place so far below ground that you don’t know you have a problem or they’re so small that they’re barely a trickle, so you don’t notice that you’re slowly wasting lots of water. If the issues go undetected and unresolved, costs can quickly spiral out of control.

But if you have a smart meter installed, you don’t have to wait for any physical signs of a leak prompting you to take action. All you need to do is know what your expected water flow is and if a spike up from this is seen, you’ll know you need to do something.

It can be difficult to know where to begin with water conservation, but if you’re keen to get started, give the team here at Switch Water Supplier a call to see how we can help.