Thursday, 3 May 2012

UK NEWS

BILLS SET TO RISE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SAVE 'SCARCE WATER RESOURCES'

Story Image


Water bills could rise after Lords gave go ahead to companies to save resources

Wednesday May 2,2012

By Emily Fox for express.co.uk

WATER bills are set to rise after a Lords Committee gave the go ahead to water companies to save resources.

The Lords Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment EU sub-committee said consumers would need to "pay more or to save more" to protect increasingly under-pressure water supplies and the environment.

A report on EU water policy, which comes as much of England remains in drought despite the wettest April on record, also said the Government must speed up efforts to change rules on taking water from rivers for homes, businesses and irrigation because of the damage it was doing to nature.

More than one in 10 rivers are being abstracted to the point where it is damaging the natural environment, but the Government has set a target date for reforming the system by the mid to late 2020s, which the Lords say is too late.

Action must be taken more urgently, according to the report which called for the EU to start planning immediately for a future where water resources would be more uncertain in the face of factors such as climate change and population growth.

ì
The protection of our water environment while the population continues to grow will require the adoption of innovations
î

Lords Committee Report


The Lords said that in the UK, political direction was needed to link up water suppliers so that companies in water-rich areas can supply drier parts of the country and to promote water efficiency.

But where other measures to tackle water scarcity have failed, the Government must allow the cost of water to rise.

They also raised concerns about the rate at which treated water is lost from supplies, but said the most obvious causes had been addressed and cutting current leakage rates of 20% to 25% implied higher costs which needed to weighed benefits.

And they said the possibility of higher consumer bills should not prevent water meters being brought in, but that safeguards were needed to protect people who could not afford the greater costs.

SEARCH UK NEWS for:


The report said: "The protection of our water environment while the population continues to grow will require the adoption of innovations, such as metering, and real-time information about domestic water consumption, and will require consumers either to pay more or to save more.

"We believe that the cost of water will have to rise in areas where other measures are not enough to meet the challenges of water scarcity."


Click here to have your say
User Image

WATER BILLS

03.05.12, 3:29am

are these unelected jerks for real.they get their 300pounds a day while the rest of us are teatering on the edge what right have they to say what we have to pay,none of em has ever had a proper job,so they dont know how joe public has to make ends meet,what next a tax on fresh air?

• Posted by: henry121Report Comment

User Image

BILLS SET TO RISE

02.05.12, 11:22pm

perhaps the labour party should have thought about how much the millions of immigrants would use up our resources before they opened the flood gates .millions have come here and now they have become a burden on our country ,towns are becoming overpopulated ,a huge strain on our resources have put quality of life back years.

• Posted by: crazyhorseReport Comment

User Image

LEAKS `N' ALL

02.05.12, 11:14pm

How about making the water companies pay fines if they do not fix leaking pipes in good time?
• Posted by: Peltast

Absolutely,everyone else seems to be getting the same stick,but then....

MORE OF THE SAME ?
• Posted by: TrevorD


is it complacency?
• Posted by: OUTERLIMITS

Conspiracy is on the mark...

NOT again !!!!
• Posted by: oze6


IMBECILES
• Posted by: yeokelboy9

Who?...

(and MPs excepted)
• Posted by: TrevorD

Par the course per se....?


Use your vote wisely tomorrow - the results will be measureable

• Posted by: korkyReport Comment

User Image

BILLS SET TO RISE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SAVE 'SCARCE WATER RESOURCES'

02.05.12, 10:17pm

fine the water companies if they dont repair leaks etc definitely plusa...build more reservoirs instead of houses.. we are an overcrowded island..far too many people..a huge increase in the population is now becoming a real problem one way or another and that is why we need more houses...i also hear that sometime ago 25 reservoirs were cashed in for developement..what a stupid ill thought out move that was..we live in a country where we are renowned for our rainfall..yet we manage our water so ineptly compared to hot arrid dry countries where water is much scarcer..why is that? i would really like to know..is it complacency? or just plain greed on the part of the water companies? i think its both. it seems everywhere we look there are cretins running the show. government..utilities..councils..you name it morons are in charge.

• Posted by: OUTERLIMITSReport Comment

User Image

MORE OF THE SAME ?

02.05.12, 10:14pm

BILLS SET TO RISE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SAVE 'SCARCE WATER RESOURCES'
==========================
Is pricing hardworking citizens out of the game the only way this government can try to control ANYTHING ?

• Posted by: TrevorDReport Comment

User Image

WATER

02.05.12, 9:01pm

What a load of CR- - ,.Encourage people to save water !!!!!, Next year they will say. People are not using enough water, So we are not making enough money to update water supply, We will have to put the price.
NOT again !!!!

• Posted by: oze6Report Comment