Water firms plug leaks

Water companies are making progress towards reducing leakage from pipes, the Water Service Association said yesterday. Water companies have been criticised for failing to prevent leakages during shortages.

But the association claimed that the biggest improvements were being made in areas which have suffered from a lack of rainfall and where hosepipe bans were imposed.

North West Water, Severn Trent Water, South West Water and Yorkshire Water are together saving nearly 290m litres (64 million gallons) a day. Leakage for some companies has been as high as 30 per cent.