No to National Water Grid

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Published: 12 September 2006

No to National Water Grid

The champion for water consumers in England and Wales supported the Environment Agency's view that a large-scale water grid from the north of England or Wales was not the answer to shortages in Southern England.

Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said:

"Rumours of the death of the current water resources problems are greatly exaggerated, despite late summer rain.

However, water consumers still cannot afford a national water grid, either financially or environmentally.

There are much cheaper and more sustainable ways of increasing water in supply, including 'local grids'.

We encourage water companies in the South East to continue improving on the way they share water across neighbouring water companies' borders - work which can be done at a reasonable cost."

The Environment Agency calculated that it would cost up to £15 billion to build five pipelines carrying 1,100 megalitres of water a day from the northern Pennines to London - at least four times the cost of building new reservoirs to increase supplies.

The Consumer Council for Water said that a 'twin-track' approach would be a far better use of customers' money, looking at better ways of saving water and clamping down on leakage, while developing new local water resources.

Dame Yve added:

"The price tag on a northern Pennines to London pipeline is nearly equal to the total water and sewerage capital investment programme across England and Wales for 2005-10.

New reservoirs and small-scale desalination plants, as already planned in the south east, would have a much lower impact on greenhouse gas emissions - and on water customers' pockets.

In the meantime, we cannot ignore the role of water efficiency.

Customers' admirable restraint in using water this summer was instrumental in enabling Thames Water to withdraw its drought application.

We are not out of the woods yet on water resources, with groundwater still at near-record lows in the south east.

We all have a responsibility to use water sensibly when supplies are under stress. Households and businesses should continue to use our five fast fixes on water saving."

Five fast fixes for households on water saving:

· Fix any leaks. A dripping tap losing one drop a second will waste 15 litres of water a day.

· Use water efficient appliances in the home. A typical family of four uses the equivalent of two baths of water every day simply flushing the toilet: fit a Save-a-Flush device (you may see it called a 'hippo' or even a 'bog hog') and you could save a litre each time you flush

· Save water when washing - take a shower rather than a bath, don't leave the tap on when brushing your teeth and use the plug in the washbasin when shaving.

· Save water in the kitchen - use a bowl instead of leaving the tap on when washing up, boil only the amount of water you need in the kettle, and keep cool water in the fridge rather than running the tap to get a cold drink. And don't use dishwashers or washing machines half full.

· Save water in the garden - collect rainwater from the roof in a water butt, and give your plants a soaking once a week rather than watering daily. Water your plants in the early mornings or evenings, reducing the amount lost through evaporation.

Five fast fixes for businesses:

· Take regular meter readings. The majority of businesses are metered and by taking regular meter readings, you can monitor your water consumption. Meter readings can reveal if the amount of water used is too high

· Trace and repair leaks: Any leaks occurring in the pipes on a property will waste water and money. Leaks may be difficult to trace, but you can check if there is a leak on your premises by taking meter readings at night or at weekends when water is not normally used. Some water companies will also help business customers to check for leaks.

· Water efficient taps: Dripping taps can waste a large amount of water over time. You could consider installing self-closing press taps that cut off the supply after a short period

· Water efficient toilets: Some workplace toilets are programmed to flush all the time, even when there is no-one in the building. Reduce waste by changing the settings, or by installing a sensor-controlled flushing system

· Appoint a water monitor: Assign a member of staff to walk regularly around the site, checking for any obvious waste or excessive water use

Further information:

Environment Agency – Water Resources

National Water Grid

Consumer Council for Water (CCWater)

Consumer blog

Related articles:

Consumer Council for Water

Water companies drown in a flood of complaints.

The Business of Water Delays

Money down the drain into the bank

Cheaper Water