Defra has launched the Government’s new water strategy to help secure and maintain water supplies, reduce water pollution and tackle surface water flooding. The strategy is intended to help cut water use through a combination of efficient technology, metering and tariffs, improve surface water drainage, and reduce pollution from homes, industry and farming.

Launchning the strategy, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said

Securing and maintaining water supplies is vital to the prosperity of the country and to the health of people and the environment. In some areas, current supplies are already unsustainable and this situation was exacerbated by the drought in South East England between 2004 and 2006.

These pressures are going to get worse as the climate changes, the economy grows, and population increases. Combined with the need to reduce CO2 emissions from the water industry and from our use of hot water in our homes, this means that we must find ways of improving efficiency, and of reducing demand and wastage.

"No one approach will work for all areas, but we must find ways of improving efficiency, and of reducing demand and wastage. That’s what this strategy will help deliver.”

An independent review will look at different methods of charging, including metering and tariffs, and make recommendations. The Strategy includes the aim to reduce water usage to 120 litres per person per day by 2030 from the current level of roughly 150 litres per person per day, through a combination of efficient technology, metering and tariffs. Proposals include a fairer system which offers incentives to conserve water, and could mean near universal metering in water stressed areas before 2030. The review will also consider how to protect vulnerable groups, like those on low incomes and the elderly.The strategy tackles pollution of rivers, lakes and streams.

The strategy has also launched two new consultations – one on eliminating phosphorous from detergents via both voluntary and regulatory control options, the other taking forward some of the key recommendations from Sir Michael Pitt’s lessons learned report following the summer 2007 floods.

• Bringing water companies within the scope of the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme, which sets targets for industry to reduce its emissions. Progress being made on mapping surface water and groundwater flooding.
• Defra consultation later this year on proposals to make the abstraction licensing system more able to cope with the challenges of climate change in order to maintain a balance between demand for essential supplies and protection of wildlife and aquatic environments.
• In 2009 a National Policy Statement will be published, setting out Government views on the need for major new infrastructure such as new reservoirs.
• The launch of a public consultation on draft statutory Social and Environmental Guidance to Ofwat, the independent economic regulator of the water industry

The Environment Agency welcomed publication of the Government’s Water Strategy for England but said that compulsory water metering is needed sooner rather than later.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency said: “Defra's new strategy for England - "Future Water" is welcome and timely as demand on our water resources continues to grow. It rightly highlights the issues of surface water management, flooding and the need for new homes to be fitted with water efficient appliances.