England's Secret Water Wasteland Revealed
· audio
Drought-Stricken England’s Secret Water Wasteland
The dry summer of 2023 has brought drought declarations to three-quarters of England, with millions of households facing hosepipe bans as water reserves dwindle. Behind the scenes, a different story unfolds: companies using billions of liters of public water without much public mention or incentive to cut back.
According to data released by Mosl, the organization operating England’s business water market, 2.6 billion liters of public water are used every day. Businesses account for about 30% of supply consumption. The problem is not just the volume of water being used but also the lack of transparency and accountability in companies’ water usage practices.
Regulators have long complained about the dearth of data on industrial water use, a situation exacerbated by “commercial secrecy.” Companies are reluctant to share information that might hurt their bottom line, making it difficult for regulators to plan effectively for water security. The largest consumers of public water include oil refineries, chemical plants, and paper mills, with some sites using more than the daily needs of 10 million people.
These behemoths often have little incentive to reduce their consumption: the more water they use, the cheaper each unit becomes. For instance, ExxonMobil’s Fawley refinery in Southampton tops Mosl’s list as the largest user of public water supply. ExxonMobil disputes these figures, claiming its water usage is commercially confidential.
However, Mosl insists it will press on with sharing this information, recognizing the benefits for both the environment and society at large. A closer examination of industrial water use reveals that one in 10 businesses are not metered, leaving their consumption unreported; of those that are, only 11% have smart meters – basic tools for monitoring and optimizing water usage.
This lack of data is already affecting national water planning, with plans often based on assumptions rather than concrete information. The Environment Agency and Ofwat, the water regulator, are calling for mandatory reporting of current and projected water use across all sectors to improve water security. But will this be enough?
The UK has struggled to meet its own water efficiency targets in recent years. Meeting government reduction targets by 2038 and 2050 may seem unrealistic, given growing demand from new developments like datacentres, hydrogen production, and other large-scale projects. Companies want flexibility to plan for projected demand rather than adhering to government reduction targets.
Despite these challenges, there is reason for hope. Efforts are underway to create a more efficient water use framework that balances business needs with environmental concerns. Mosl’s map of business water supply points highlights areas where water reuse is possible and safe – an approach that reduces waste and minimizes strain on public supplies.
The drought-stricken summer of 2023 serves as a stark reminder of England’s vulnerability to water scarcity. As we navigate the complexities of industrial water use, it’s essential to recognize both the opportunities for growth and the challenges posed by opaque business practices. The path forward lies in fostering collaboration between regulators, industry leaders, and community groups – a shared effort that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and sustainable development.
England’s secret water wasteland demands attention; will we act before it’s too late?
Reader Views
- TSThe Studio Desk · editorial
While the revelation of England's water wasteland is alarming, we must not overlook the elephant in the room: the economic incentives driving this profligacy. The more these industrial giants consume, the cheaper their water costs become. It's a perverse cycle that benefits corporate coffers at the expense of public water reserves. A more radical solution would be to tie water prices directly to actual consumption, incentivizing businesses to adopt more efficient practices and ultimately reduce their reliance on our dwindling resources.
- CBCam B. · audio engineer
It's astonishing that despite England's drought declarations, industrial water usage remains shrouded in secrecy. Companies like ExxonMobil are still hesitant to reveal their water consumption figures, citing commercial confidentiality as an excuse. But what about the long-term costs of ignoring this issue? The truth is, metering and transparency could incentivize companies to reduce their consumption, driving down costs for everyone. Instead of finger-pointing at commercial secrecy, we should be exploring ways to make industrial water usage more publicly accountable – before it's too late.
- RSRiya S. · podcast host
It's about time someone shed light on England's secret water wasteland. The figures from Mosl are damning: 2.6 billion liters of public water used daily by businesses, many of which have little incentive to reduce consumption due to economies of scale. But here's the kicker - one in ten industrial sites isn't even metered, leaving their usage completely off the books. This lack of transparency has allowed behemoths like ExxonMobil to fly under the radar with their massive water footprints. What's truly astonishing is that regulators have been warning about this dearth of data for years; why hasn't anything changed?