Water management for the environment and people

Fresh water is one of our most important natural resources.

We need to balance reliable supplies for customers and businesses with protecting rivers, reservoirs, groundwater and habitats for the future.

 

Our work focuses on helping customers and businesses use water wisely, planning for future supply resilience and reducing unnecessary demand on the environment – particularly as climate change, population growth and dry weather increase pressure on water resources.

Helping customers use water wisely

Reducing everyday water use helps protect shared water resources and can support lower bills for customers on a meter.

Our home water and energy saving programme provides practical support, advice and devices to help customers use water more efficiently. In 2025/26, 3,434 home visits delivered estimated savings of 0.23Ml/d, while our targeted leaking toilet repair programme repaired 1,167 toilets, saving an estimated 0.25Ml/d.

These interventions show how small, practical changes can add up when delivered at scale. Together, the two programmes are estimated to save around 480,000 litres of water a day -  enough to fill more than 1,900 average household baths every day.

Working with businesses to reduce demand

Reducing non-household water use is an important part of protecting future water resources.

We launched our Business Demand Reduction Strategy, introducing targeted interventions and pilot schemes to help businesses use less water. This included retrofit activity with major customers and a business water-saving fund delivering 9,462 litres per day of savings in 2025/26.

Working with businesses helps reduce pressure on shared water resources, particularly in areas facing greater climate and population pressures.

Supporting customer-side leak repairs

Some leaks happen on customers’ own supply pipes and can waste significant volumes of water before they are noticed.

Through customer-side leak support, we helped 5,668 customers with private supply leaks in 2025/26. This saved an estimated 20.5 million litres of water – enough to fill more than eight Olympic-sized swimming pools.

As smart metering develops, we will be able to identify some customer-side leaks more quickly and provide more targeted advice and support.

Reporting Hub

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