Water metering should be compulsory in England, advisers likely to say

The bed of Woodhead reservoir revealed by falling water levels, near Glossop, Derbyshire in July. No major reservoirs have been built in England for at least 30 years. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Water metering should be made compulsory for all households in England, the government is likely to be told this week, as water supplies come under pressure from increased demand and more frequent droughts and floods.

Strain on the UK’s water networks is increasing under the more extreme weather conditions generated by the climate crisis and, under increasing demand, investment by water companies has not kept up.