England water-market data exposes gaps in monitoring heavy business use
Data from England’s business water-market operator shows companies use 2.6 billion litres from public supplies each day, while regulators say incomplete reporting complicates drought planning.
In short
- Data from England’s business water-market operator shows companies use 2.6 billion litres from public supplies each day, while regulators say incomplete reporting complicates drought planning.
Businesses in England draw about 2.6 billion litres of water a day from public supplies, but incomplete metering and restrictions on data sharing are limiting authorities’ ability to plan during drought, according to reporting based on figures from market operator Mosl.
Business consumption accounts for roughly 30 percent of public-supply use, with about two-thirds occurring in water-stressed areas. Less than 1 percent of businesses collectively use more water than the daily needs of 10 million people, the data indicates.
The overall picture remains incomplete. About one in 10 businesses is not metered, and only 11 percent of metered companies use smart meters. Mosl chief executive Sarah McMath told a House of Lords committee that the operator must negotiate bespoke agreements before sharing some data with government bodies.
The Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat have called for mandatory reporting of current and projected use across sectors. Water-resource plans assume business consumption will fall 9 percent by 2038 and 15 percent by 2050, while the industry group Water UK argues those assumptions do not reflect demand from data centres, hydrogen production and new housing.
The figures were reported as millions of households face usage restrictions and much of England experiences drought. The government says it is planning new reservoirs and infrastructure investment, while the Environment Agency says abstraction licences are regularly reviewed.
