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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Rachel Salvidge

Revealed: how companies ‘secretly’ use billions of litres of public water in drought-hit England

Fawley oil refinery's smokestacks and tanks emit smoke and steam
The site of the Fawley oil refinery in Southampton was shown to be the largest industrial user of the public water supply. Photograph: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Less than 1% of businesses in England use more water than the daily needs of 10 million people, as millions of households face hosepipe bans and three-quarters of the country is in drought.

Businesses across England use 2.6bn litres a day from the public water supply, which includes potable and non-potable water provided by water companies. In total, businesses account for about 30% of public supply use, with two-thirds of their consumption in water-stressed areas, according to Mosl, the organisation that operates England’s business water market.

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