Welsh Lib Dems slam Dŵr Cymru as stats reveal an average of 251 million litres of water wasted per property every day due to leaky pipes

An average of 3 billion litres of water is wasted every day in England and Wales (between 2020/21-2022/23) due to leaky pipes, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

This is the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water being lost every day due to leakages in England and Wales.

Approximately 251 million litres are lost every day because of these leakages caused by Dŵr Cymru.

The data also reveals the impact this is having on households across England and Wales. On average, a total of 171 litres is leaked per property served by Dŵr Cymru every day, the highest in England and Wales.

The Liberal Democrats have calculated that these water leaks are costing customers in England and Wales approximately £396 million per year in total.

The high leakage from Dŵr Cymru comes in spite of its supposed ‘non-profit’ model, something which the Welsh Liberal Democrats have repeatedly criticised in the face of large executive bonuses and the company's terrible environmental record, with some of the highest levels of sewage dumping in the entire UK.

Dŵr Cymru also charges the most expensive water bills in the entire UK, with average household water bills set to increase by an average of 27% for 2025-26, despite incomes in Wales being amongst the lowest in the country.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the government to abolish Ofwat in favour of a new regulator with real power to hold water companies accountable, protecting customers and the environment. The party has also called on the government to implement a single social water tariff to protect the most vulnerable customers from excessive bill increases, and for bonuses to water bosses of these failing companies to be banned.

They have also called on the Welsh Labour Government to better regulate Dŵr Cymru when it comes to its environmental record, stating the Welsh Government have used its position as ‘non-profit’ as an excuse to hold it properly to account.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe (Gower & Swansea) Councillor Sam Bennett said:

“Communities across Swansea & the Gower are being let down by a system that rewards failure and punishes ordinary people.

“When water companies like Dŵr Cymru waste millions of litres every day while customers pay the price with unfairly high bills, it’s not just an environmental disaster – it’s a betrayal of the public’s trust.

“The government cannot just sit idly by whilst water companies exploit the system. It’s time for Ofwat to go and be replaced with a regulator that can hold these polluting companies accountable.

“The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand with customers who have been taken for granted by water companies for far too long.”