Tom Gordon slams Yorkshire Water as stats reveal an average of 115 litres of water wasted per property every day due to leaky pipes

Tom Gordon, the Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough has said it’s “time for Ofwat to go” as new stats paint a sorry 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 275.3 million litres is lost every day because of these leakages caused by Yorkshire Water.  

The data also reveals the impact this is having on households across England and Wales. On average, a total of 113 litres is leaked per property served by Yorkshire 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. 

This news comes following months of scandal for Yorkshire Water, which continues to discharge sewage into rivers including the River Nidd, for which they have been fined, all whilst paying out a vast £371,000 bonus to their CEO and being criticised for failing to deal with customer complaints.  

Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon, said:

“It’s scandalous that Yorkshire Water are allowing millions of litres of water to be wasted every year, all while customers pay the price with unfairly high bills.

“The government cannot just sit idly by whilst water companies exploit the system. It’s time for Ofwat to go, and be replaced with a regulator that can hold these polluting companies accountable.

“The Liberal Democrats and I will continue to stand with customers who have been taken for granted by water companies for far too long.”

ENDS