Water shortage hosepipe bans and water companies are being allowed not to fix leaking water mains
While water companies, particularly in the south and south east, are threatening their 20 million customers with £1,000 fines for breaching limited use orders banning the use of hose pipes, huge amounts of water are being wasted every day due to leaks not being repaired.
Water regulator Ofwat enforces a system that actually permits leakage.
Leaks are not required to be repaired if the cost of fixing them is less than the expense of not fixing them.
These costs can include environmental damage and the development of new water resources to compensate for the water lost due to leakage.
Ofwat claim that leakage has been reduced by 34% since the 1995 peak, equating to 400 million gallons a day.
But Thames Water, supplying 8.8 million homes wastes 155 million gallons a day due to leaks.
South East Water, supplying homes in Surrey, Sussex, Kent and parts of Hampshire is losing 21 million gallons a day due to leaks.
Ofwat say "Customers tell us they want leakage levels but don't want their bills to go up to pay for reduce leakage rates."