Our recommendations

We encourage all local authorities to consider the applicability of each of these recommendations, and implement them where appropriate.

We recommend that local authorities:

1. use accurate and up-to-date information to prepare drinking water demand forecasts to reduce the risk of under- or over-investing in water supply infrastructure. In particular, this needs to include accurate and up-to-date information on water consumption;
2. verify the reliability of drinking water demand forecasts to reduce the risk of under- or over-investing in water supply infrastructure.
3. improve the efficiency of drinking water supplies by minimising water that is unaccounted for, to reduce the demand on existing water sources and the risk of over-investing in drinking water supply infrastructure;
4. participate in an independent benchmarking programme to measure their progress in improving the efficiency with which they supply drinking water;
5. prepare comprehensive demand management plans that integrate a broad range of supply and demand strategies, to reduce the demand on existing water sources and the risk of over-investing in drinking water supply infrastructure, and to benefit from cost savings;
6. carry out rigorous evaluations of the costs and benefits of supply and demand strategy options, to choose the most cost-effective and sustainable options;
7. define targets for performance measures and demonstrate progress towards the targets to improve decision-making on investments in drinking water supply; and
8. integrate sustainable development strategies into drinking water supply management as part of preparing comprehensive demand management plans.