A Case For Compulsory Water Meters

Compulsory water metering may be something that we will have to accept if we are to ensure that UK water supplies are sustainable.

On 20 November, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will outline the next steps for proposals to accelerate water metering in areas of water stress. The idea behind the scheme follows ongoing work by the Water Saving Group to identify long term efficiency measures to help protect the sustainability of water supply.

We all know that water is a scarce commodity. And the Environment Agency has identified areas where water withdrawal is already unsustainable. An example of this in the south east of England. Here demographic changes, new housing development and the likely impact of climate change may increase pressure on water resources.

In fact earlier this year, a water company in Kent won the right to force 65,000 customers to install water meters to combat the problem brought about by drought conditions. But demographic changes may see the problems experienced in Kent spread to other areas of the UK. Consequently, it is not unreasonable to expect the Kent experiment to be rolled out to other regions, too.

The problem that water companies have is that many of us pay a flat charge according to the rateable value of our homes. Furthermore, only 28% of UK households, which are currently on metered charges, have an incentive to curb their water consumption. Consequently, almost three-quarters of British home can afford to use water freely, in the knowledge that they will not have to pay more than their flat annual charge.

One course of action is to restrict water usage through enforced drought orders, hose pipe bans and water rationing. However, a better way may be to force all households to install water meters, which will educate consumers to conserve water all year round. An argument against this is that it may unfairly affect those who can least afford to pay!

But, as I see it, water is a precious commodity. What's more, while water may appear plentiful in many regions now, it is possible that demand for potable water in some areas may outstrip supply within a decade. And the best way to curb demand is to make everyone accountable for what they use. And one of the best ways is through water metering, however unpalatable it may seem right now.

Tell us what you think about compulsory water meters in this poll.