Water meters should be universal to protect rivers – WWF-UK

All homes in England and Wales should be fitted with water meters to relieve pressure on rivers and their wildlife, conservationists urged today.

WWF-UK warned that a third of river catchments were facing damage as a result of too much water being taken out of them.

And following a summer which saw drought and water shortages leading to hosepipe bans in some areas, the wildlife charity is calling on the government and water companies to ensure universal metering is in place by 2020 to help cut demand.

Over-extraction of water from rivers can lead to water courses drying out during summer droughts, killing wildlife including fish and endangered water voles, while lower levels of water throughout the year can also damage nature.

Chalk streams, which are unique to England, require strong, fast-flowing water courses to provide a healthy ecosystem, such as the gravel beds trout and salmon need for spawning.

Currently just over a third (37 per cent) of households have water meters, and a Government review last year recommended England and Wales should move towards 80 per cent metering by 2020, WWF said.

The latest five-year plans from water companies indicate the number is likely to rise to half of all homes by 2015 – which WWF warns is still only half of what is needed to protect rivers.

Installing meters into all homes would enable householders to see how much water they were using and improve companies’ understanding of water demand. On average, people cut water use by around 10 to 15 per cent once a meter is installed, while companies can use metering information to target efficiency measures – such as mending leaky systems – where it is needed, WWF said.

Rose Timlett, freshwater policy officer at WWF-UK, said: “Not only is the current water charging system unfair and outdated, it is also piling huge pressure on our rivers and their wildlife.

“One-third of our river catchments are facing damage because we are simply taking too much water out of them, a problem that is set to get worse with climate change and a rising population.

“With the current water shortages across the country, water companies and the government should be doing all they can to help more households install a water meter.”