Leaky pipes in England and Wales are spilling an eye-watering 2.87 billion litres of water every day – five times more than the savings from a nationwide hosepipe ban, according to shocking new research by Greenpeace UK.
The environmental campaign group's analysis reveals that daily leakage is equivalent to a fifth of all water pumped through the network, enough to fill over 1,150 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In contrast, Ofwat data suggests a network-wide hosepipe ban would conserve around 577 million litres daily – less than one-fifth of total daily usage.
As several water companies enforce 'temporary use bans' in south and south-east England, critics are questioning the industry's priorities, arguing that privatisation has led to investment being focused on shareholder dividends rather than essential infrastructure. The government's climate advisers warn of a potential 5 billion litre-a-day water supply shortfall by the mid-2050s due to increasingly severe droughts caused by climate change.
Greenpeace UK's Chief Scientist, Doug Parr, slammed the situation, saying: "It's frustrating for customers to be asked to conserve water when billions are being lost through leaks. Ministers must treat water security as a pressing issue, not something to be put off until later."
Water UK countered that companies have made significant progress in reducing leakage since privatisation, aiming for a further 17% reduction by 2030. However, they acknowledged the challenge posed by this summer's record heatwaves, which have seen some areas experience demand increases of over a third.