25 July 23
Affinity Water scores best leakage results for 2023
Affinity Water has announced they have beaten their leakage target and reduced leakage by 15.8% in 2022/23 against a target of 14%.
This is the largest percentage reduction in leakage of any UK water company, having one of the toughest targets in the industry and the lowest level of leakage Affinity Water have ever had as a company.
Reducing leakage is incredibly important to Affinity Water. It plays a key part in helping them to leave more water in the environment to help protect their regions’ globally rare chalk streams and to provide a long-term sustainable supply of water.
Population growth, climate change and the demand for water are putting significant pressure on the local environment and water resources in their supply area.
Affinity Water is responding to these challenges with a range of initiatives to meet future demand, and leakage plays a key part in this, alongside reducing customer demand for water and investing in new infrastructure to improve network resilience and bring online new sources of water.
Tackling leakage is one of Affinity Water’s top priorities and are working together with other companies to use new techniques and innovative technology to find and fix more leaks.
Keith Haslett, CEO Affinity Water says,
We are confident that we are on track to deliver on our commitment to reduce leakage by 20% for 2025 and are determined to follow up on our success from the 2015 - 2020 period in having the largest reductions in leakage of all UK water companies.
We will do this through continuing to use new innovative methods and technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital networks, to find and fix leaks faster than ever before with the aim to reduce leakage by 50% by 2050.
We need to stress the importance of reporting leaks, which helps to play a key part to ensure the long-term sustainable supply of water, whilst leaving more in the environment.
We would also like to thank over 240,000 customers who have signed up to Save Our Streams who helped to get free water-saving devices, tailored water-saving advice and free home water efficiency checks.”
Affinity Water had a significant increase in the number of bursts and leaks over 2022/2023 due to two extreme weather events with record breaking summer temperatures of 40 degrees celsius and a freeze/thaw event in December.
Extreme weather events cause ground movement and also cause pipes to expand and contract putting significant pressure on our water network.
However, they overcame these extreme weather challenges to find and fix leaks faster than ever before to make sure they beat their 2022/23 leakage reduction target.
Further reductions in leakage are a key part of Affinity Water’s longer-term plans with the aim to reduce leakage by 50% by 2050.