Published: 23 June 2006
Going with the flow
Major water industry players have emphasised that strategic long term thinking is essential to protect the sustainability of the water supply in England.
The Water Saving Group - which includes the Environment Agency, Ofwat, the Consumer Council for Water, Water UK, Defra, the Department for Communities and Local Government, and Waterwise - met for their six month review to analyse progress against its Action Plan, which was published last October.
The plan outlines work in a number of areas to encourage the efficient use of water and so help protect the long term sustainability of supply.
Environment Minister Ian Pearson, who was chairing the Group, said:
"The drought in the south east has reminded people of the potential hardships caused when the water supply is under stress.
But drought is a short term problem.
It is essential that we keep an eye on the long term picture too, and that is what the Water Saving Group is focused squarely on.
Our water supply is limited and yet demand continues to rise.
With the combined effects of climate change and a changing society we cannot assume that the way we use water now can continue indefinitely.”
In an effort to engage with customers and better understand their perceptions and needs, the Consumer Council for Water has undertaken extensive research through forums and face to face interviews with customers.
The research will allow customers' views to inform the future work of the Water Saving Group, which gives high priority to consumers and the way they use water.
Ofwat is leading on work to develop incentives to companies for improving the promotion of water efficiency.
As part of this work, Ofwat is looking at the possibility of providing incentives to developers to install water efficient devices, by (for example) linking the charges that developers pay to a water company for connection to the water infrastructure to the buildings' level of water efficiency.
Work is also underway on new regulations to improve water efficiency in buildings, which will cover new and existing homes, as well as domestic water use within commercial buildings.
The consultation on the options for new regulations will be published by DCLG and Defra this summer.
The Group has also looked at opportunities for greater penetration of metering in areas of water stress.
Ongoing work has included the development of ideas to streamline the process for water companies in water stressed areas to introduce compulsory water metering, which fed into the discussions on 1st June between water industry representatives and Government.
Lessons learned from the first application for 'area of water scarcity status' - when Folkestone and Dover Water Services was granted the power to compulsorily meter its customers in March this year - have informed these ideas.
Key to the proposals is the need to view metering as one element within a broad range of resource and demand management measures.
Retaining regional variation to metering policy is also seen as essential, along with the need for public scrutiny of proposals and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Further information
Water Saving Group Action Plan
Water Savings Group (WSG)
Water conservation
Water Strategy: Directing the Flow - priorities for future water policy
Consumer Council for Water
Water UK
Waterwise
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