Cambridge Water warned over city supply and demand

Cambridge Water supplies drinking water to about 351,000 households and demand is growing due to population and high-tech industry growth

A company has been warned to take "immediate action" over concerns about meeting demand for water in an area targeted for substantial housing and non-household growth.

The Environment Agency, Ofwat, and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs have written to Cambridge Water, which supplies about 351,000 customers in the Cambridge area.

The annual review letter said the deficit "puts customers and the environment at risk" and called for "immediate action".

A spokesperson for Cambridge Water said it had "the largest leakage reductions in the sector" and had plans to fit all non-household properties with smart meters.

The company supplies drinking water to an area including Cambridge, up to Ramsey in the north, Gamlingay in the west, Balsham in the east and Melbourn in the south.

'Significant growth'

Some of the concerns highlighted include a reported deficit between the supply and demand for water, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The letter did highlight Cambridge Water's per capita consumption was lower than forecast but added: "It must supply a growing demand for water from population growth and nationally and internationally important businesses, whilst doing more to reduce the impact of its abstractions on the environment".

In August, Matthew Pennycook, minister for housing, said the government was "ambitious for Cambridge" and described the city as "constrained economically by the lack of housing".

A developer recently won an appeal to build a further 1,000 homes at a Cambridge site, which has been opposed by the Environment Agency because of concerns about supplying the homes with water.

The letter said this was the third consecutive year leakage had been above forecast and "its current performance is a risk to the environment and security of supply".

Cambridge Water said it would publish a full response to the letter on 29 November.

A spokesperson added it was "proud to have the lowest per capita consumption in the country", but it had seen "significant growth in non-household demand for water, as Cambridge develops its scientific and technology sectors"

It plans to introduce universal metering from April and to have all its domestic and non-household properties fitted with smart meters by 2030.