The Labour government is facing calls to introduce a pay-per-litre charge for households watering their gardens, as part of a major push to conserve water resources amid growing drought concerns.
Climate Adviser Proposes Radical Water Pricing
Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, a key government climate change adviser, has stated that people who choose to water particularly large gardens should be "paying through the nose" for the privilege. Baroness Brown, who leads the Climate Change Committee's work on adaptation, suggested that a "block pricing" system – where the price per litre increases significantly after a certain usage threshold – could effectively reduce water consumption without unfairly penalising those in financially precarious positions.
She made these comments while addressing the House of Lords' environment and climate change select committee on the critical issue of drought preparedness.
The Growing Threat of Water Shortages
Baroness Brown highlighted a fundamental problem in public perception, noting that the image of England as a wet, sea-surrounded nation means the threat of drought "doesn't impact on the public consciousness enough."
Drawing comparisons with more water-conscious nations, she added: "In Mediterranean countries people are much better at being sparing with water, and they have levels of more like 80-100 litres of water per person a day."
Her warnings are supported by the Environment Agency, which has now cautioned that extreme dry spells could be even worse next year if the UK does not experience a sufficiently wet winter.
Meteorological Warnings and Public Response
Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, provided a sobering forecast: "While it's not possible to definitively forecast weather for the next three months, the chances of a dry period are higher than normal. A more average three-month period for rainfall is still the most likely scenario."
Helen Wakeham, director of Water at the Environment Agency, is urging all households to be as "efficient as possible" with their water use, even during rainy periods. She emphasised that "Our wildlife, our rivers and our public water supplies depend on it," while praising the public for their efforts in reducing water usage this summer and adhering to restrictions in affected areas.
The proposed pay-per-litre charge represents one of the most significant potential changes to domestic water pricing in recent years, aiming to address the escalating challenge of water security in a changing climate.
