YORKSHIRE Water has welcomed the Government’s announcement of new measures to reduce personal water use.

The plans, revealed late last week, come on the back of a consultation in 2019 on how to reduce personal water use.

Granville Davies, manager of water and catchment strategy for Yorkshire Water, said this could prove crucial as demand for water rises, but supplies diminish due to climate change.

He said: “We are pleased the Government will be introducing a mandatory water labelling scheme, it’s a significant step forward for efforts to reduce water usage.

"However, it is a shame that the measures don’t combine the new water labelling scheme with minimum standards for appliances and changes to building regulations that would require developers to install only the most efficient fittings as rated by a new labelling system."

The mandatory water labelling on white goods is just one of the new measures and will educate the user about how much water an appliance uses.

Evidence from other countries and from the energy labelling scheme shows that giving people more information when they are purchasing white goods helps them make more sustainable choices.

It also encourages innovation and improvements in the industry.

The Government is also asking water companies to develop a consistent approach to fixing customer supply pipe leakage.

This is something Yorkshire Water has focused on extensively over the past few years and the utility firm is currently piloting a smart water network in Sheffield, which should help to spot leaks easier.

Mr Davies said: “We’re constantly working to reduce water use and leakage in our region.

"We have around 250 leakage inspectors that are out and about looking for leaks every day and we’re currently trialling a smart water network pilot in Sheffield which will help to spot leaks.

"In the pilot area we found 32 per cent of water lost through leaks came from just one per cent of properties – we’ve supported those properties to fix the leaks and have already reduced leakage by more than 92,000 litres of water per day.”

Yorkshire Water managed to reduce total leakage by three per cent in 2020.

This means the utility firm is on track to meet its target of 15 per cent reduction by 2025.

Some of the other measures introduced by the Government includes, encouraging local authorities to adopt a tighter standard of 110 litres per person per day, compared to the current standard of 125 litres, for new homes, where appropriate, requiring developers to install more efficient fixtures and fittings and developing a roadmap towards greater water efficiency in new developments and through retrofits.

This will include options such as rainwater harvesting, water re-use and storage options.