Surrey Lib Dem MPs slam Thames Water as stats reveal an average of 591.9 MILLION litres of water wasted every day due to leaky pipes

Helen Maguire MP, Al Pinkerton MP, Chris Coghlan MP, Monica Harding MP, Zöe Franklin MP and Will Forster MP have said “Ofwat must go” as new stats paint a terrible picture about just how much water is wasted every day because of leaky pipes.

An average of 3 billion litres of water is wasted every day in England and Wales (between 2020/21-2022/23) due to leaky pipes, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

This is the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic sized swimming pools of water being lost every day due to leakages in England and Wales.

Approximately 591.9 million litres is lost every day because of these leakages caused by Thames Water, more than any other water company in England and Wales.

The data also reveals the impact this is having on households across England and Wales. On average, a total of 146 litres is leaked per property served by Thames Water every day.

The Liberal Democrats have calculated these water leaks are costing customers in England and Wales approximately £396 million per year in total.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the government to abolish Ofwat in favour of a new regulator with real power to hold water companies accountable, protecting customers and the environment. The party has also called on the government to implement a single social water tariff to protect the most vulnerable customers from excessive bill increases, and for bonuses to water bosses of these failing companies to be banned. 

In a joint statement by Surrey Liberal Democrat MPs Helen Maguire, Al Pinkerton, Chris Coghlan, Monica Harding, Zöe Franklin & Will Forster, they said:

“It is scandalous that Thames Water are allowing millions of litres of water to be wasted every year, while our constituents are forced to pay outrageous water bills to a company that simply keeps failing its customers.

“The Conservatives did nothing to tackle the issue, and now Labour continues to drag its feet, while Thames Water causes untold damage to our waterways and our constituents pay the price. 

“The Government cannot keep sitting idly by, whilst water companies exploit the system and pollute our waterways. Ofwat must go, and we must replace it with a regulator that finally holds these polluting companies to account. 

“Here in Surrey, we Liberal Democrats will continue to stand on the side of customers who have been taken for granted by water companies for far too long.”