UK ministers explore raising price of water for some users amid shortages
UK ministers are considering raising water prices for industrial users to address severe supply shortages and encourage better water management. The Environment Agency suggests that current licensing systems fail to reflect the true value of water resources.
Why it matters
As climate change exacerbates water scarcity, governments are forced to rethink resource pricing to prevent long-term supply deficits.
Woodhead reservoir near Glossop, England, in August./Getty Images Woodhead reservoir near Glossop, England, in August./Getty Images Water UK ministers explore raising price of water for some users amid shortages Environment Agency says talks under way about increasing prices for industrial users to try to reduce poor water management
Prefer the Guardian on Google Ministers are exploring making water more expensive for some users, in the face of severe supply shortages.
Despite the UK being a famously wet country, the precarious nature of the water supply has been made particularly acute this summer, with almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales in drought and 27 million people facing restrictions on their water use.
As the climate crisis worsens and demand for water increases, the Environment Agency has estimated that, without action, England’s water supply could be short by 5bn litres a day by 2055.
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