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CCWater Urges Suppliers To Improve Water Leak Detection
Water watchdog the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has voiced concerns that the industry is no longer prioritising water leak detection, with a new report showing that the water industry lost 3.1 billion litres of water a day last year across England and Wales. Furthermore, overall leakage levels climbed by just over one per cent.
The organisation is now worried that the sector isn’t doing enough to reduce leakage and its efforts have ground to a halt over the last five years. This lack of progress could have the knock-on effect of undermining efforts to encourage people to use their tap water more efficiently.
The biggest leakage reductions in 2016/2017 were seen at Affinity Water, United Utilities, Bournemouth Water and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. But in contrast, big increases were seen from Dee Valley Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Cambridge Water, Portsmouth Water, Thames Water and Bristol Water.
CCWater is now backing proposals from Ofwat for companies to drive down water leakage by at least 15 per cent between 2020 and 2025. This can be achieved by focusing on new leak detection technologies – so get in touch with us today if you’d like to find out more.
While this might all seem like doom and gloom, it’s worth noting that although more water is being lost through leaking pipes, the amount of time consumers were left without running water dropped by just over three minutes to average out at ten minutes and 45 seconds per property.
Commenting on the report, chief executive of CCWater Tony Smith said: “Consumers view leakage as a dreadful waste and it can drain their own motivation to save water. Some water companies need to show much more ambition in tackling leaks, otherwise all of our efforts to encourage consumers to use water more wisely will fall on deaf ears.”
Looking out for common warning signs is the best way of seeing if you may have a potential leak, so watch out for permanently leaking toilets, bad smells from the floor or near drains, cracks or spots on the walls, peeling paintwork, spikes in utility bills and damp or dark patches on walls and ceilings.
If you spot any of the above and are worried, make sure you give us here at H2O Building Services a call. We’ll come and carry out a water leak investigation as part of our site survey, using the very latest techniques to detect the tiniest of leaks.
Remember that water leaks are a leading cause of unnecessary costs when it comes to water bills, whether it’s because of bad plumbing, accidental damage, general wear and tear or faulty pipes. It doesn’t cost much to bring us in to identify these water leaks quickly and effectively, but it is important to be proactive because the longer you wait the more money you’re potentially wasting.
And it’s also worth bearing in mind that serious damage could take place if you don’t sort the situation out quickly.