The i Paper’s analysis found that water companies could therefore be losing between five and seven times more water through leakage than hosepipe bans are likely to save. South East Water loses an estimated 104.8 million litres a day to leaks – 4.7 to 7.1 times more than its ban is estimated to save. Essex and Suffolk Water, whose hosepipe ban came into force on Monday, loses an estimated 54.7 million litres a day. However, with that rate applied, its leakage is still higher than the amount of water a hosepipe ban would save. Ministers said they were investing in nine new reservoirs by 2050, expected to provide an extra 700 million litres of water a day.