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Water metering should be compulsory in England

Water metering should be made compulsory for all households in England, the government is likely to be told this week, as water supplies come under pressure from increased demand and more frequent droughts and floods.

The strain on the UK’s water networks is increasing under the more extreme weather conditions generated by the climate crisis, and, under increasing demand, investment by water companies has not kept up.

No new large reservoirs have been constructed in England in at least 30 years, and leaks from pipes still amount to about a third of water wasted.

Managing demand through metering is therefore unavoidable, a panel of independent experts convened by the government is likely to find.

On Wednesday, the National Infrastructure Commission will publish its comprehensive assessment of the UK’s critical infrastructure, the first in five years.

Covering everything from energy and transport to water and waste, it is expected to find large gaps in investment and many areas in which the UK’s existing infrastructure is poorly maintained and inadequate.

The commission, set up under George Osborne when he was chancellor of the exchequer to advise the government on vital investment, is also likely to warn that the UK is falling behind on the infrastructure needed to meet the legally binding goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to protect against the probable impacts of the climate crisis.

Many of the commission’s findings are likely to be controversial, particularly in light of recent government announcements. The cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 has thrown out plans for public transport across the north of England, and delays to the phase-out of gas boilers have implications for gas use and energy needs for decades.

Water is likely to be one of the most hotly contested issues. Sewage in rivers has provoked widespread public anger and, although few people have yet experienced problems with their water supply, that too is likely to start happening, as water supplies are not keeping pace with demand.

Water companies have extracted about £72bn in dividends since privatisation, but are asking for investment of about £96bn to alleviate the sewage crisis and safeguard supplies. Most or all of that must come from billpayers under the current system.

The commission is likely to find that up to nine new large reservoirs are needed, as well as enlargement of some existing reservoirs, and a plethora of water recycling plants. Nine new desalination plants could also be necessary.

Increases in supply are unlikely to solve the problem on their own as the climate crisis worsens and droughts and floods become more common across the UK. Managing demand will, therefore be necessary, and compulsory water metering is viewed as the best means of achieving that.

Water metering has been controversial in the past, as social campaigners have raised concerns over the impacts on large families on low incomes. However, water companies could be empowered to offer a range of tariffs that would mean large households, or households with special needs, could afford their bills.

Water metering would also ensure that people on high incomes who use outsize quantities of water for leisure purposes were fairly charged.

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