Push ahead with consumption policy or risk missing target urges government infrastructure advisor

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has recommended as one of its top ten priorities for 2022 that plans for reducing per capita water consumption to deliver the targeted 110 litres per person per day by 2050 are strengthened and progressed.

In its Annual monitoring report for 2022, the commission noted there has been some progress since its first National Infrastructure Assessment and associated recommendations: on leakage (performance and forward targets) and developing new supply side infrastructure via the RAPID process. “But per capita consumption, already at unsustainable levels, is not yet falling.” In fact, per capita water consumption increased to 155 litres per day in 2020-21, from 143 litres per day in 2019-20.

The commission continued: “The sector has set ambitious targets, and published draft regional plans for future water resources, but it is not clear whether the government’s new policies will support the reductions needed.” The NIC noted the Government had not accepted its recommendation for mandatory metering, instead announcing: mandatory water labelling; a roadmap for water efficiency in buildings (both due this year); ‘encouraging’ local authorities to voluntarily adopt a tighter standard of 110 litres per person per day for new build homes where appropriate, versus the current 125 litres; and designating additional ‘areas of serious water stress’, where water companies can introduce compulsory metering where this is cost effective and has customer support.

According to the NIC: “Taken together the recently published draft regional plans for water resources will struggle to achieve the 110 litres per person per day target set out by government in its Strategic Policy Statement without further government action at the national level”.

Other NIC priorities for 2022 included: an urgent need for a comprehensive energy efficiency push to insulate homes; the need to accelerate the roll out of electric vehicle charging points to ensure the 2030 date for the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars remains viable; and for big decisions on how the net zero transition will be funded.

Writing in the report’s foreword, commission chair, Sir John Armitt, said: “At a time of significant global volatility alongside concerns about rising living costs, we appreciate that sticking to a long term strategy is not easy. But it is the only way to address the stubbornly difficult problems that will not become any easier or cheaper to solve by delaying action – and the quicker we tackle them, the quicker society and our environment will reap the benefits.”