Swimming pool owners, those with large gardens and those in areas prone to droughts should be moved onto water meters as a matter of urgency, with companies using satellite images from Google Earth and aerial photographs to ascertain heavy water users. These are just some of the recommendations put forward by Anna Walker, a leading civil servant, in her 220-page interim report into domestic water bills, commissioned by the Department for the Environment. It warns that all families should brace themselves for “substantially higher” water bills over the coming decade, as Britain’s water supply steadily falls because of climate change. It suggests a raft of radical changes to both the water industry and consumers’ behaviour, including:

Households struggling to pay bills in areas where tariffs are high should receive a “water benefit” of up to £170. Every household in Britain should eventually be moved onto a water meter, at cost of £3 billion. Lavatories with large cisterns and large shower heads should be banned from being sold.

Domestic appliances should carry water efficiency labels, with the least efficient washing machines and dishwashers outlawed. A spokesman for Anna Walker said: “This should be seen as a wake up call. Water is going to become much more scarce in summer because of climate change, and the population is increasing.

“We either spend billions on desalination plants and building extra water storage, or we do something about saving water now.”

Water companies have the power to force swimming pool owners to move onto water meters, but according to the report most do not enforce their powers and the majority of the estimated 210,000 pool owners are on rates – paying no more for their water than neighbours without pools.

The Anna Walker team believe “as a matter of urgency” legislation should be passed to make it mandatory for companies to move high water user customers onto meters, using – if need be – Google Earth and garden inspectors to find out who is using sophisticated watering systems, pools and ponds.

The report also believes that everyone in the south east, south west and areas of low rainfall should be moved onto meters, potentially pushing up bills for large families substantially.

The report was warmly welcomed by environmental campaigners, but consumer groups cautioned that some customers – who wouldn’t qualify for water benefit – could be hit disproportionately hard.

Tony Smith, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said: “There are already a large number of customers struggling to pay their water bills and we have concerns they could suffer significantly.”

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