Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom
| United Kingdom: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Data | ||
| Access to an improved water source | 100% (2015) | |
| Access to improved sanitation | 99% (2015) | |
| Continuity of supply (%) | 100% | |
| Average urban water use (l/c/d) | 150 | |
| Average urban domestic water and sewer bill for 20m3 | n/a | |
| Share of household metering | 33% (2008) | |
| Non-revenue water | 20% (2010-2011) | |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 100% | |
| Annual investment in WSS | n/a | |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | n/a | |
| Share of tax-financing | n/a | |
| Share of external financing | n/a | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | No | |
| National water and sanitation company | None | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Three regulators, one each for England/Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | ||
| Sector law | None | |
| Number of service providers | 28 | |
Public water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom is characterised by universal access and generally good service quality. A salient feature of the sector in the United Kingdom compared to other developed countries is the diversity of institutional arrangements between the constituting parts of the UK (England and Wales; Scotland; and Northern Ireland), which are each described in separate articles, while this article is devoted to some common issues across the United Kingdom.
Access to improved water supply and sanitation in the UK is universal. In 2015, 100% of the population had access to improved water supply and 99% of the population had access to "improved" sanitation.
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (2008)
According to the Environment Agency, total water abstraction for public water supply in the UK was 16,406 megalitres per day in 2007.
In England and Wales the economic regulator of water companies is the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat). The Environment Agency is responsible for environmental regulation, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate for regulating drinking water quality. The economic water industry regulator in Scotland is the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and the environmental regulator is the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Drinking water standards and wastewater discharge standards in the UK, as in other countries of the European Union, are determined by the EU (see Water supply and sanitation in the European Union).
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