Overview

• Reservoirs in the North West sit at 64.6% capacity, well below the 82% average after the driest start to the year since the 1950s.
• United Utilities has injected an extra 75 million litres daily into the network and is investing to bring a further 25 million litres online.
• Since January the company has been fixing about 1,000 leaks each week, conserving over 3.5 million litres of water per day.
• The Environment Agency expects water firms to meet 60% of the projected 5 billion-litre daily shortfall by 2055 through demand management and reduced leakage.
• Government policy targets cutting individual use to 122 litres per day by 2037-38; experts urge wider use of smart meters, greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting.