The Environment Agency has just published the 100th edition of its Demand Management Bulletin.Trevor Bishop looks at how the water agenda has changed.

First published in 1993, the Environment Agency recently published the 100th edition of its Demand Management Bulletin, which promotes water efficiency and demand management, while providing news and analysis of UK and international programmes, projects and policies designed to manage demand for water.

*Highlights*

A look back over the bulletin's 17-year history highlights several key issues:

l In the first year of the bulletin, leakage and metering took the headlines. Leakage was on the increase, reaching 31 per cent of water put into supply. Metering trials had just been completed with reported per capita consumption reductions on the Isle of Wight of 21 per cent.

That same year also saw the introduction of a common methodology for demand forecasting to be used by water companies for the second asset management plan (AMP2) period.

l Water efficient products and labelling. The 1997 Water Summit placed a statutory duty on water companies to conserve water and was instrumental in instigating large-scale water-­efficiency projects by water companies. Also that year, there was debate on replacing Water Byelaws with Water Fittings Regulations, and imposing a new

6-litre standard for toilet flushing.

*Directing the Flow*

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' 2002 water strategy Directing the Flow included a commitment to work "towards introducing product labelling, involving rating certain appliances by water consumption".

l Leakage. The Water Summit also proved the catalyst for Ofwat introducing mandatory leakage targets. Levels of leakage have reduced by one-third from pre-Water Summit levels.

l Metering. The 1990s saw the government review the water charging system in England and Wales. At the time, the average metering coverage was 5 per cent. Significant progress was made in 1998, with many companies installing free meters for sprinkler users. The marked change in policy came with the Water Industry Act 1999 making water meters free on request but curtailing companies' ability to meter on a compulsory basis.

Metering work has increased over the past ten years and the number of installations has risen as more is known about the benefits. In 2004, UKWIR estimated that paying by meter reduced demand by about 10 per cent.

Acceptance of metering has continued to gain support. In its guidance for the 2009 price review, Ofwat encouraged companies to consider a wider range of benefits of metering in their assessment. The recent Walker Review recommendations, if accepted by the government, will mark another significant change.

*Future predictions*

Clearly, water demand and management practices have undergone widespread changes over the past two decades. So what does the future hold? By 2050, climate change could reduce the amount of water available by 10-15 per cent and an additional 20 million people will stretch what resources remain. These are the two main messages in the Environment Agency's Water Resources Strategy for England and Wales.

What can we expect to report on in 2027, the bulletin's 200th edition at current frequency?

Water efficiency will probably be the accepted way to live; the efficiency of products and homes a key selling point; leakage virtually eliminated; and smart meters installed in every home. If you fancy trying to pin down specifics, enter our quiz - see box.

Trevor Bishop is head of water resources at the Environment Agency.

Email: trevor.bishop@environment-agency.gov.uk. The bulletin, along with a special supplement charting the history of demand management, can be found at http://bit.ly/c4D8DA. To subscribe to the Demand Management Bulletin, email: savewater@environment-agency.gov.uk