Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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Databank Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan's reference to the "jaws of death" earlier this year was an apt way to characterise the threat to water supplies, with the warning that England could run short within 25 years unless things change. While climate change and leakage are clearly major factors, the need to reduce per capita consumption (PCC) should not be overlooked. Britain has one of the highest PCC levels in Europe at 141 li- tres per person per day – Ger- many, by comparison, stands at 121 – and while the level in this country has dropped from around 150 litres at the turn of the millennium, it's Š atlined in recent years. "Companies are commit- ting to cut leakage by 50 per cent by 2050," Waterwise managing director Nicci Rus- sell told Utility Week earlier this year. "How about throw- ing everything at it and trying to reduce per capita consump- tion by 50 per cent?" As the table below shows, though, water companies' dra' water resources manage- ment plans for 2045 showed England's companies are planning to cut levels by an average of just 13 per cent. There are some more encouraging signs in terms of metering, with the level of coverage anticipated to increase from 52 per cent to 83 per cent in 2045, which has been shown to deliver signi– cant decreases in usage. As smart metering technology develops and is rolled out, this e— ect could strengthen further. While driving behavioural change is di˜ cult, small changes can make a big dif- ference. As the EA memorably pointed out in 2003, if every adult in England and Wales remembered to turn o— the tap while brushing their teeth, it would save 180 megalitres a day – enough to supply nearly 500,000 homes. WATER CONSUMPTION Customers with a water meter use 129 litres per person per day on average The average customer uses 141 litres per person per day Customers without a water meter use 162 litres per person per day on average Customers with a The average Customers without a Per capita consumption levels and ambitions for English water companies Water consumption per person per day in England and Wales Metering coverage and ambitions for English water companies Source: Defra Source: Defra 2017-18 average PCC Target PCC for 2045 (from dra WRMPs) Change Affi nity Water 155 132 -17% Anglian Water 137 122 -13% Bournemouth Water 141 129 -9% Bristol Water 146 127 -15% Cambridge Water 154 125 -23% Essex & Suff olk Water 153 135 -14% Northumbrian Water 141 129 -9% Portsmouth Water 148 130 -14% Severn Trent Water 133 121 -10% South East Water 150 138 -8% South Staff s Water 129 120 -8% South West Water 142 127 -12% Southern Water 129 120 -7% SES Water 159 143 -11% Thames Water 145 125 -16% United Utilities 142 113 -26% Wessex Water 143 130 -10% Yorkshire Water 133 112 -19% AVERAGE 141 123 -13% Metering coverage in 2017-18 Metering coverage aim for 2045 (from dra WRMPs) Change Affi nity Water 50% 91% 82% Anglian Water 90% 92% 2% Bournemouth Water 71% 88% 24% Bristol Water 53% 84% 58% Cambridge Water 72% 90% 25% Essex & Suff olk Water 61% 80% 31% Northumbrian Water 36% 65% 81% Portsmouth Water 30% 65% 116% Severn Trent Water 44% 96% 118% South East Water 82% 89% 9% South Staff s Water 37% 75% 103% South West Water 80% 88% 10% Southern Water 84% 90% 7% SES Water 55% 87% 58% Thames Water 40% 82% 105% United Utilities 39% 71% 82% Wessex Water 64% 89% 39% Yorkshire Water 50% 81% 62% AVERAGE 52% 83% 60% Source: Water UK, companies in England and Wales, 2017-18 Source: CC Water and Water UK 2011-12 145.8 2013-14 141.5 2015-16 139.6 2012-13 140.1 2014-15 138.6 2016-17 141 2017-18 141 26 | JULY 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk