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Water industry in the UK - Statistics & Facts

The UK water industry is responsible for collecting, treating, and delivering billions of liters of clean and safe drinking water every day to households and businesses. It also provides wastewater services by collecting and treating sewage before returning it to the environment. These services are provided by regional water utilities, though the structure and regulations vary across the country. In Scotland, water and sewerage services are provided by one publicly-owned company – Scottish Water. In Northern Ireland, these same services are provided by the government-owned Northern Ireland Water. The water and wastewater sector in England and Wales differs, having moved from the public sector to the private sector in 1989.

Water consumption in the UK

The average daily water usage in England and Wales was 152 liters per person in 2021. This notable increase from the previous year can be explained by the increased amount of time spent at home due to COVID-19-related lockdowns. Household water usage can be affected by several factors, such as what appliances are used, how many people live at home, as well as whether the customer has a water meter or not. On average, metered customers used some 40 liters less water per day than those without in 2021. Non-metered customers pay a fixed price for their water bill regardless of how much water they consume, while metered customers pay for the exact amount of water they use. As such, they can make a more conscious effort to consume less. While having a meter can help customers keep an eye on how much water they use, households that use a lot of water-intensive appliances may find it makes more sense to remain un-metered.

Water sector infrastructure

The UK has extensive water and wastewater infrastructure with a network of pipes stretching thousands of kilometers across the country, and more than 1,000 treatment works producing drinking water. In England and Wales, more than 25 million properties are connected to public water supply networks and sewers. However, these pipes often require repairs due to their age, with many dating to the Victorian era. An average of three billion liters of water are leaked each day in England and Wales. As well as investments in infrastructure, smart water meters will also continue to be rolled out across the UK, allowing water utilities to monitor water flow and detect leaks far more efficiently.

The water sector and the environment

UK water companies have been coming under increased scrutiny in recent years due to their impact on the environment. Water companies discharged raw sewage into rivers in England more than 370,000 times in 2021 over a period of more than 2.7 million hours. Southern Water was ranked as the worst water company for pollution that year, with more than 94 pollution incidents for every 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) of sewers. Many rivers and bathing sites in England and Wales are now highly contaminated, resulting in safety warnings for swimmers. In a 2022 survey, most respondents in England and Wales believed untreated sewage from water companies was the most negative impact on river quality. The water industry has announced it will invest roughly five billion British pounds in improving the natural environment relating to wastewater.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Ian Tiseo, Feb 8, 2023

Key insights

Overall drinking water quality in England & Wales
99.95%
Largest water company in the UK
Thames Water
Country with highest average daily water usage per person in the UK
Scotland
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Average household water usage per person per day in England and Wales from 2016 to 2021 (in liters per day)

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Average water usage per person per day in England and Wales 2016-2021

Forecast average annual household combined water and sewerage bills in England and Wales from 2020/21 to 2022/23 (in GBP)

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Average household water and sewerage bill in the United Kingdom 2020-2023

Number of pollution incidents caused by water companies for every 10,000km of sewer in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2021

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Number of pollution incidents caused by water firms in the UK 2019-2021, by company

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