The Mayor's draft water strategy - london.gov.uk - Greater London ...

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for investigation, and the results of these investigations and remedial actions are reported. This has resulted in a significant reduction in long-standing problems, and ensures that newly identified locations are properly discussed. Supply pipe losses 3.16 A sizeable proportion of water lost through leaks comes from supply pipes linking individual buildings to the mains. Households are responsible for any leaks in these supply pipes, and most companies offer a free leak detection and repair service the first time a problem arises. In London, only a fifth of houses and flats have a water meter and it is unlikely that householders will be aware of such a problem. Although water meters inside the home are valuable for customers to monitor their water use, internal meters fail to pick up leaks outside the property. A solution would be to have boundary meters with ‘smart’ technology to relay information to a display inside the home. Thames Water is installing boundary meters with its ‘Leakfrog’ technology 35 as part of the integrated demand management programme as these help to identify customer supply-side leakage. Metering 3.17 Research has shown that household metering reduces water use by between ten and 15 per cent 36 . The need to measure water use in order to manage it adequately is a strong argument in favour of universal water metering. With identification of eastern England as an area of water stress, another argument in favour is that it can help to conserve water. It is not surprising that people tend to use less water when they pay for it by volume used rather than through a standard charge that does not reflect the amount used. 3.18 7.6 million people live in London, in 3.2 million households. Of these, 22.7 per cent have water meters, which are used as a basis for charging for water. This level is lower than that for the UK as a whole (around 26 per cent) but is increasing at two per cent per annum. In comparison, many of our European neighbours have achieved near-universal metering, with the UK and Ireland as the only OECD countries without such metering. 3.19 London’s low current and low forecast takeup of meters is often attributed to London’s high proportion of flats. In London flats and maisonettes account for 45 per cent of the total number of dwellings, substantially higher proportion than any other region (the next largest is the South East, with 15 per cent) 37 . Flats are often difficult to meter because of the complexities of their plumbing that was not installed with metering in mind. Nevertheless 52 per cent of buildings in the capital are detached, semi or terraced which can be metered relatively easily – so London can make some relatively easy gains. 3.20 Although all new homes are metered, in some cases water companies in London have allowed ‘bulk meters’ to be installed in new 45
46 The Mayor’s draft water strategy blocks of flats rather than individual meters (ie one meter at the base of the block with the bill split between the tenants). This has led to letters of complaint to the London Mayor when residents have been unable to have individual meters fitted. In response, a detailed investigation of the problems of metering flats was commissioned from Ove Arup & Partners 38 . Also, references to universal metering in other countries means bulk metering rather than meters for each flat 39 . Proposal 3 The Mayor will work with water companies and other partners to support the rapid introduction of water metering throughout London. The Mayor considers that all houses in London should have meters installed by 2015, and all blocks of flats by 2020. All new flats in London should have an individually metered water supply. Tariff arrangements should encourage the efficient use of water but protect vulnerable and lowincome households. Figure 3.1 The components of household water demand Source: Environment Agency 40 Outdoor use 3% Dish washer 3% Washing machine 12% Kitchen sink 10% Bath 24% Shower 20% Basin 9% WC 19% 3.21 Water meter tariffs are considered in Chapter 6 (paragraphs 6.21 to 6.30). Demand management 3.22 Demand management is an umbrella term for a variety of policies or measures that serve to control or influence the use of water. There are three strands of demand management: • Water efficiency. Changing behaviours and/or using appliances and fittings that use less water for the same result. • Water conservation, which looks at using less water through a change in behaviour. An example would be taking a shower rather than a bath. • Reclaimed water, which looks at using rainwater or grey water for non-potable water (ie non-drinking water) needs. Water efficiency in new homes 3.23 Household water use is dependent on the water fittings and appliances used in the home. It is the product of the level of ownership of the fitting or appliance, the frequency of use and the volume each use. Nationally, we use an average of 150 litres of water per day and, although our water is treated to a drinking water standard, most of this water is used for toilet flushing and washing (see Figure 3.1). Within this ‘average’ water use varies quite widely according to behaviours, cultures and lifestyles. 3.24 In December 2006, the government published its Code for Sustainable Homes 41 . The code has been introduced to improve sustainable home building practice. It is a
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