Cuts in water supplies push up cost

LONDON, July 12 (UPI) -- A push to protect British rivers and wetlands and the wildlife that use them is likely to mean higher water bills for homeowners, officials said.

The Environment Agency asked water companies to reduce the amount of water they draw from many rivers and aquifers after a review found many were being overused, The Guardian reported. The agency agreed that water companies could seek rate increases to pay for finding alternative supplies.

In some areas, annual bills could jump by 30 pounds ($60), the Consumer Council for Water said. Deryck Hall, the policy manager, said there may be additional limits on using water for gardening and car washing and possible supply cuts to businesses that use water heavily, such as commercial carwashes.

The companies facing the biggest cuts in supply tend to be in areas where water resources are already tapped to the limit. While there have been suggestions that water could be moved from northern England and Wales to the south, they are controversial because of the amount of energy that would be needed.