Water lost to leaks is double the amount a hose ban could save

A HOSE ban would save just half the total amount of water that suppliers lose to pipe leaks every day, analysis by The Daily Telegraph has shown as England endures its driest year since 1976.

Britain uses roughly 15.3billion litres of water every day, according to Water UK, a trade body. It is estimated a garden hose ban would save 10 per cent of this – equivalent to 1.5billion litres.

However, pipe leaks are responsible for more than threebillion litres being lost every day, according to an annual report from regulator Ofwat.

A nationwide hosepipe ban can only be declared by the Government and the Environment Department has said it has no current plans to do so.

Temporary bans can be decided upon by individual water companies and are among the measures they can consider to maintain water supply.

The water companies are set targets for daily leakage by Ofwat. Last year, five of the 17 water providers failed to meet the regulator’s target.

According to the Ofwat report, Thames Water, which serves 15 million households, lost the highest daily volume of water to leaks – 635million litres a day in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Voice For Water Consumers campaign group has urged the Government to end the “postcode lottery” facing households who are struggling to pay their water bills. These can vary by as much as £100 a year depending on location, according to Discover Water, a price comparison tool backed by regulators and trade bodies.

The cheapest water provider, Portsmouth Water, charges £109 on average for a year’s supply. Essex and Suffolk charges as much as £246, excluding sewage charges.

A Water UK spokesman said figures for water use varied seasonally and targeted hosepipe bans could save more than 10 per cent if accompanied by the right measures. “We are on track to achieve an average 16 per cent cut in leakage between 2020 and 2025, with penalties for companies not achieving this, and 50 per cent by 2050,” he said.