The Government has announced that water companies in areas of serious water stress will be able to seek compulsory water metering as part of their 25 year forward plans. Water metering in England and Wales currently stands at around 30% and is only increasing by 2% per year. A House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report last year urged the Government to adopt this course of action.

Environment minister Phil Woolas said, when announcing the change: “This is not a green light for universal metering, and it in no way absolves companies from their responsibility to deliver on leakage targets.

Water companies will have to make a strong case in their 25 year forward plans for compulsory metering in their region to get approval to go ahead, demonstrating that metering offers the best value for water customers’ money compared with the other options available, such as building new reservoirs.”

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