Water is everywhere in our lives. We drink it, bathe in it, cook, clean, work and play with it. When we’ve finished with it it is taken away, cleaned up and put back into rivers and then flows to the sea, from where some evaporates, falls as rain, and the familiar cycle of use begins again.
Today the rivers of the UK, essential to this process, are under considerable strain. Demand for water from a growing population is increasing, rainfall is less consistent and our water resources are poorly managed. There is also the common misconception that the majority of the water flowing from our taps comes from reservoirs, when in fact it is rivers.
Fundamentally we (when I say ‘we’ here I mean consumers, companies, government etc) don’t appreciate how much water we use at home, for farming and industry and the impact of that use, when all added together across the UK. Years of taking too much water out of our rivers has left them in a poor state, and in some cases it has meant there is too little left for them to flow at all.
So, what is the Government doing about it? In July, it published a new Water Bill.
Before the Bill appeared, we had a Water White Paper - it placed a value on the environment, and talked about reforming the water industry and the old water abstraction licensing system (basically the rules set up in the 1960’s that determine how much we take, and from where)
WWFliked that White Paper, particularly its focus on the need to ensure that the water industry provides for customers and protects the environment both today and in the longer term, to address the growing challenges of climate change and population growth.
But the Water Bill is a missed opportunity to address these challenges. Instead it focuses on increasing competition in the water sector as an end and not a means to achieving a defined goal. It would allow licence holders such as the power sector and water companies, who haven’t maxed out their water licences, to take even more from their supply sources, and sell it through a competitive process. And it doesn’t put sufficient emphasis on our stewardship of our rivers.
As we all know, the UK is increasingly experiencing wild weather fluctuations, from drought to heavy rainfall and flash floods. Whether we choose to accept it or not, change is coming. So we must learn to adapt. Water is a natural resource and a national asset but we don’t value it properly. Eventually, if we don’t do anything, the outcome will be decided for us, but that’s one we would rather avoid.
The Water Bill is an opportunity for us to start to fix this and have a process in place that lets our rivers run freely while giving us all enough water. WWF wants the Government to give the country the water regulatory framework it needs now and in the future. We want a Water Bill that will allow the country to;
1) withstand the impacts of climate change;
2) sufficiently protect our rivers; and
3) supply affordable, clean water.
To do this,
WWFis advocating the following changes:
• The regulator of the water industry, Ofwat, should be required to ensure the sustainability of supply of water in the long term and that this supply does not damage the environment. This requirement should sit alongside affordability, as a core duty.
• We all need to value water more, reducing the amount we use and the amount we waste. Water demand needs to be managed so that those who use more, pay more. We would like to see water companies given the power to introduce compulsory water metering. Not only does this mean a fairer system for all, it encourages people to reduce their consumption, without creating a massive jump in bills through greater understanding.
• The Government should bring forward proposals to reform the old water abstraction regime. Future licences need to signal water availability, reflect the value of water, protect the environment and drive efficient use.
WWFwill be working with politicians and our partners to try and achieve these changes to the Bill.
We know this won’t be easy to do, but it is essential to protect our beautiful countryside and unique rivers and chalk streams.
Water is essential for life, for living, for everything. So let’s start appreciating it .
Dominic Gogol, Public Affairs Advisor
07771 818704,
dgogol@wwf.org.uk