What measures it has introduced in order to reduce water consumption and what forecasts have been made of average per capita water consumpt…

Measures to reduce water consumption include informing water authorities that applications for new Water Orders or amendments to existing Water Orders for the abstraction of water for public water supplies will not be approved unless they can demonstrate that they have achieved the economic level of leakage. Other measures include encouraging the water authorities to undertake joint publicity campaigns to promote water efficiency among customers. They are also required to carry out efficiency audits of their own operations with the proviso that nothing done should compromise public health and that full use should be made of the Welfare to Work scheme to provide an inspection/leakage repair service. Forecasting domestic water consumption for the areas mentioned would require detailed studies. However, some information on forecasting water consumption in the home can be found in Using Water in the Home in Scotland. Domestic Water Consumption Study 1999, a joint study by the three Scottish water authorities, Research Consultancy Services and RPS Water Services, published in October 2000, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 19718).