1 Trillion Litres Of Water ‘Lost To Leaks In 2023’

Water stress and scarcity is a growing concern for countries all over the world, even here in the UK with our famously damp climate. Resources are starting to buckle under the combined pressures of population growth, climate change, extreme weather events, water mismanagement and ageing infrastructure, much of which dates back to the Victorian era.

As such, it’s essential that wide-ranging water conservation solutions are found and implemented in order to safeguard resources for the future.

The good news is that there’s a lot that can be achieved, including the likes of rainwater harvesting, grey water use, awareness campaigns, water recycling, automated meter reading, sustainable appliances and so on.

But one of the more immediate ways in which water can be conserved is through water leak detection and repair – something that, it seems, is of paramount importance given new figures showing that more than one trillion litres of water was lost to leakage by water companies in England and Wales in 2023.

An Observer review found that the worst-performing supplier was Thames Water, leaking 570.4 megalitres (one million litres) of water per day last year, totalling 200 billion litres – or just under a water of its entire water supply.

United Utilities, meanwhile, leaked over 175 billion litres, Severn Trent lost almost 139 billion, Yorkshire Water leaked 94.9 billion, Welsh Water 90.8 billion, Anglian Water 66.4 billion and Affinity Water 56 billion litres.

Thames Water has long been facing significant pressure, placed under special measures in July, with over £15 billion worth of debt now amassed. Over the summer, the company said some £19 billion worth of its assets – which includes reservoirs, processing plants and pipes – are failing, with risks being posed to the environment, water supply and public safety.

The country’s water infrastructure is now struggling to keep up with demand, with a lack of investment seen over the last few decades to ensure that it can keep pace.

Rounds of new investment have been announced, with £88 billion in funding set aside by Ofwat to drive improvements and build resilience into the nation’s water supply – but this will result in bill increases for households, even as record amounts in dividends are paid out to shareholders.

A representative from industry trade organisation Water UK commented on leakage rates, saying that they’re now at their lowest level on record, adding that water firms have proposed investments totalling £105 billion to shore up future water supplies and slash leakage rates by a third come 2030.

And Thames Water confirmed that it would be upgrading 112 kilometres of mains pipes in London, with plans in place to reduce leaks by 23 per cent over the next three years.

However, it also noted that a third of its leaks came from pipes in domestic customers’ properties, with smart meter rollouts instrumental in safeguarding water resources for the future.

Given the amount of water being lost to leaks, it is paramount that action is taken now to address the situation, particularly given the fact that Environment Agency estimates are that five billion more litres of water will be needed per day come 2050 in order to meet demand… with the potential for London to run out of water within the next 25 years.

The business case for water leak detection and repair

While there isn’t much you can do about water leaks across the wider network, you can make sure that your business premises isn’t part of the problem, taking steps to identify vulnerable areas across your site and implementing the necessary repairs as appropriate.

You may not even be aware that you have a leakage issue, given that the majority of leaks are so small that they’re hard to spot or they’re hidden away below ground… so you won’t even know there’s an issue until you see a big spike in your bills or start to notice water damage appearing on your buildings.

As well as wasting lots of precious water, water leaks can cost you and your business potentially significant amounts of water. You’ll be paying for something you’re not using, for a start, and you run the risk of major repair bills coming your way if leaks do spiral out of control.

It’s also worth noting that you put your business reputation on the line if you don’t improve your water footprint and start operating more sustainably, with consumers increasingly keen to see businesses of all shapes and sizes start taking their environmental responsibilities more seriously.

The first step towards improving your localised pipe network is to have an audit of your site carried out. This will show you how and where you’re using water, with historical bill analysis conducted that will reveal any spikes in usage that could indicate a leak.

If you’d like to find out more about the process and how your business could benefit from tackling water leaks, get in touch with the SwitchWaterSupplier.com team today.