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Water Supply

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 25749

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment has been made of whether water companies are taking sufficient action to reduce leakage before further restrictions on water use are imposed on households and businesses.

Answered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Government is working with water companies to reduce supply pipe leakage, with water companies committing to delivering a 50% reduction in leakage from 2017-2018 levels by 2050. In addition to their own sector targets, the Environment Act 2021 includes an interim target of a 30% reduction in leakage by 2032. Water companies are also aiming to deliver approximately 10.4 million smart meters over 2025-30, which will be the biggest rollout to date, to improve leakage detection.

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