The amount of water the Oxfordshire supplier lost every day from ageing pipes equivalent to 261 litres per household was described as 'unacceptably high' by a House of Lords committee.

The company told the Gazette that its leakage rate was so high largely because of the crumbling mains system in the London area. In Oxfordshire, it was meeting its targets.

Across the country, 23 per cent of the total supply is lost every day.

The all-party committee demanded that suppliers make better use of new technology to accurately detect and repair leaky pipes. Without such action, householders told to reduce the amount of water they use would simply shrug their shoulders and say 'What is the point?', the peers warned.

Click here to read more