Water may run out in next 20 years, warn MPs

PARTS OF England risk running out of water within the next 20 years because the Government and regulators have “taken their eye of the ball”, MPs have warned.

In a damning report, the Commons Public Accounts Committee said there has been “no progress” in reducing leakage over the past two decades, “very little” has been achieved in reducing demand and a “far too ponderous” approach has been taken to improving water infrastructure.

Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said: “It is very hard to imagine, in this country, turning the tap and not having enough clean, drinkable water come out – but that is exactly what we now face.

“Continued inaction by the water industry means we continue to lose one fifth of our daily supply to leaks. Empty words on climate commitments and unfunded public information campaigns will get us where we’ve got the last 20 years – nowhere.”

The committee was scathing in its assessment of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), saying it had shown a “lack of leadership in getting to grips with these issues”.

The department must “step up, make up for lost time and ensure all parties act with the urgency required”, the MPs said. The report drew upon work by the National Audit Office which warned parts of the south and south-east of England will run out of water within 20 years unless action is taken.

The MPs said that due to rising demand and falling supply of water, the Environment Agency now estimates England will need an extra 3.6bn litres per day by 2050 to avoid shortages. But a fifth of the water currently used – more than 3bn litres – is lost to leakage every day, a figure the committee said is “wholly unacceptable”.

Defra has been approached for comment.