There has been a decline in water use by non-households of around 365 megalitres per day (MI/d) since 1997-98. In contrast, household use has increased by around 330 MI/d in the same period. Therefore, the volume of water use as a whole has remained largely unchanged.
The rise in household use is mainly due to a rising population rather than increasing per capita consumption. Average per capita consumption has remained stable over the period being around 150 litres per head per day in an average year.
The total amount of water put into the supply network (distribution input) has shown a decline of around 325MI/d since 1997-98. This reflects the progress made by the water industry in reducing leakage during this period.
Table 1, produced using figures from Ofwat, shows water use for household and non household customers in each year since 1997-98 in MI/d. Table 2 shows the total average household consumption in litres per head per day for each year since 1997-98.
Water use-household MI/d Water use non-household Ml/d Total Distribution input 1997-98 7,430 4,047 11,477 15,683 1998-99 7,348 3,926 11,274 15,056 1999-2000 7,557 3,938 11,495 15,058 2000-01 7,557 3,871 11,455 14,991 2001-02 7,734 3,871 11,605 15,326 2002-03 7,643 3,825 11,468 15,404 2003-04 7,848 3,832 11,680 15,658 2004-05 7,676 3,756 11,432 15,378 2005-06 7,760 3,683 11,443 15,356
Industry average 1997-98 149 1998-99 146 1999-2000 149 2000-01 149 2001-02 150 2002-03 150 2003-04 154 2004-05 150 2005-06 151 Note: Averages are weighted by population of households
The Environment Agency does not have the data for the volume of water used by agriculture from public water supply. However, in its water resources strategy it did not identify agricultural use as a major component of public water supply, nor do water companies identify it as such in their annual returns and water resource plans.
Table 3 provides data on the volumes directly abstracted for agricultural use and the percentage of total non-tidal surface and groundwater abstraction for which agricultural abstraction is responsible.
Percentage Irrigation General agriculture Total Irr Gen Total 1991 365 134 498 0.93 0.34 1.27 1992 269 127 396 0.60 0.28 0.88 1993 162 140 303 0.47 0.41 0.88 1994 284 119 403 0.88 0.37 1.25 1995 351 103 454 1.06 0.31 1.37 1996 368 136 504 1.02 0.38 1.40 1997 291 107 399 0.79 0.29 1.08 1998 281 111 392 0.67 0.26 0.94 1999 324 141 466 0.81 0.35 1.16 2000 291 152 443 0.71 0.37 1.08 2001 258 108 366 0.64 0.27 0.91 2002 248 120 368 0.63 0.31 0.94 2003 315 131 446 0.84 0.35 1.19 Notes: 1. Data pre-1994 is of lower reliability. 2. Irrigation abstraction is seasonally (summer) and location specific, so its environmental impact is out of proportion to its percentage of the total.
The yearly fluctuation in irrigation is down to climatic issue. As irrigation in this country can largely be regarded as ‘topping up’ of rainfall, the national totals are very dependant on the amount of rainfall received that year and when it fell.