Despite failing to meet its previous targets on leakage and even being fined by Ofwat for its performance, Thames Water is on track to meet its goal for 2020, according to Ofwat’s chief executive Rachel Fletcher.
Speaking at a parliamentary Public Accounts Committee meeting on water supply and demand, Fletcher said after lagging behind for the last half a decade, the company has now turned its attention to the problem and is making progress.
“We are nowhere where we need to be but the worst performing companies in the country – like Thames Water – are beginning to get their act together and it looks like it is likely to meet its targets for 2020.”
She said this was partly because of some “very tough enforcement action from Ofwat where we felt Thames Water was failing customers by not paying enough attention to leakage”.
Ofwat fined Thames in 2017 after assessing the company had let customers down by its approach to tackling leakage.
Following Ofwat’s investigation the company made progress with leakage and delivered cuts of 13 per cent in March compared to the previous year. The regulator set it a target of 20.4 per cent reduction by 2025.
During lockdown, the company has managed to save thousands of litres of water by encouraging householders to fix leaks in their homes.
Data from householders’ smart meters show that up to 200,000 litres each day has been saved by DIY repairs on leaking toilets and taps – which have been a persistent problem for Thames with more than one in 20 homes in its region having a leaky loo.
The company said leakage has remained a priority since the outbreak of coronavirus and it has been continuing with leakage reduction to bring its backlog of repairs to water pipes down to the lowest level in a decade.
Andrew Tucker, Thames’ water efficiency manager, said: “I’m delighted so many of our customers have showed the initiative and used the time during lockdown to fix pesky leaks.
“It’s important that each one of us uses water wisely to ensure we can continue to provide a safe supply in the future. However, not everyone will want to tackle these jobs themselves and Thames Water can offer advice for anyone who needs help with a repair.”
Thames has invested more than £1 million a day on its underground network to reduce leakage including in sensors and loggers to detect irregularities that may indicate a problem in a pipe that.