We need to be more water aware and we need to use water wisely, or we risk placing parts of this country under severe water stress.
Last March, the Environment Agency warned that the UK could see water shortages by 2050 if action is not taken to conserve supplies. Collectively, the UK sends a fifth of its water supply down the drain and the average consumer in England and Wales uses 142 litres of water a day.
But the responsibility for tackling this doesn't solely lie with water providers. With water management being revamped in response to the climate crisis, now is the time for collaboration across industries, government and down to every individual in the UK. It boils down to two points: we need to be more water aware and we need to use water wisely, or we risk placing parts of this country under severe water stress.
Today marks the start of Water Saving Week. It's a time to celebrate this natural resource but also, more pressingly, to raise awareness of its scarcity and the issues around water use and to share solutions for saving water and maintaining its efficient use.
A smart solution how we're helping the industry Every day, 2.9 billion litres of water are lost to leakages. This makes up an astounding 20% of the public water supply. Leakages mean more water needed in the network, and more energy required to process and transport that water.
This is where smart water metering has become integral. AMI smart water meters collect and present data in near real-time, meaning households and businesses can be much better informed about their water consumption.
In 2020, Thames Water reported that customers with smart meters were using around 17% less water than those without, while Anglian Water Services predicted an 18% reduction in consumption in its forward investment plans thanks to smart metering.
Combatting the climate crisis Smart metering technology also has a vital role to play in helping the UK meet its net zero targets and ultimately, tackle the climate crisis. According to joint analysis from Arqiva and Waterwise, of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions, 6% are estimated to arise through household water supply and use. Of these, 90% relate to water use in the home. The remaining 10% comes from water companies supplying water and removing and treating wastewater. Our calculations reveal that fitting one million smart water meters in the UK each year for the next 15 years could save one billion litres of water a day by the mid-2030s. In turn, this could reduce the UK's current greenhouse gas emissions by up to 0.5%.
So, what's next?
Moving metering to the mainstream Calling for a mandate for the universal rollout of smart water meters by 2035 is the first step towards preventing water shortages. The good news is that this is both achievable and realistic based on current technology and services. On top of this, there's an urgent need to develop policies which support, rather than hinder, progress towards reducing water use, waste and tackling the associated carbon emissions.
As we approach COP26, the government and broader industry has a golden opportunity to improve cooperation on water supply issues, ensuring that environmental and sustainability measures are at the heart of policy going forward. In its journey to achieving net zero by 2030, the water industry and wider society are faced with the challenge of securing the UK's current and future water supply. It's ambitious, but the industry is committed to protecting and enhancing the environment and intends to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. This week is a perfect moment of reflection next time you're in the shower or brushing your teeth, remember we can all take action to save water.
Published
17/05/2021
Author
John Lillistone, Director of Utilities, Arqiva
Most recent headlines
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
22/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
22/12/2025
Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...
22/12/2025
The works of Plato state that when humans have an experience, some level of change occurs in their brain, which is powered by memory - specifically long-term me...
22/12/2025
Partnership integrates complementary satellite data and AI analytics to enhance security, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring solutions for global cust...
We need to be more water aware and we need to use water wisely, or we risk placing parts of this country under severe water stress.
