Every drop of water we supply to households has been abstracted from rivers, reservoirs and underground aquifers. It is crucial that we work with our customers to reduce this abstraction if we are to restore and protect these environments, particularly in the face of climate change. 

We have ambitious targets to reduce leakage levels by 15% between 2020 and 2025 and another 15% between 2025-2030.There are two important ways of changing how much water a property uses.

Rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting is the process of storing rainwater once it falls and then feeding it into a property. That water is then used for tasks that do not require water that has been treated to drinking water standard, such as flushing the toilet or supplying drinking water to farm animals.

We have provided advice and grants to farmers in our region, helping them to install rainwater harvesting systems and become more resilient during periods of drought. This added resilience then reduces their need to take water from us.

Many new commercial developments (like offices and factories) use rainwater harvesting solutions to water communal outdoor spaces like gardens too. There are limited examples of these systems being used in homes though due to the cost of retrofitting and maintenance. They can also increase the price of new houses make them less attractive to potential buyers.

GreywaterGreywater reuse of water looks at safely collecting and re-using wasted water from household activities such as washing up, showers, baths and washing machines. Similarly to rainwater harvesting, this water can then be used to flush toilets, wash cars and water gardens.

Again, this can be prohibitively expensive for households, but we can all take some simple actions to reuse greywater:

• Collect water by placing buckets in the shower whilst it warms up.
• Leave a bowl underneath a colander when washing produce or draining pasta.
• Water acidity-loving plants, like begonias and azaleas with leftover coffee.

We’re working closely with developers to help promote the benefits of these schemes on new developments and to provide advice and support where needed.