Families with large gardens or swimming pools could face higher water bills according to new reports.

Dubbed a “tap tax”, the idea behind the measure is to conserve water and bring down bills for the poorest households, according to Mail Online.

Ofwat, the water regulator, has previously made calls on companies to consider charging customers a premium for hot tubs, swimming pools or extensive sprinkler systems. It has also suggested companies look at seasonal charging to help lower bills in winter or whether bills could be reduced for homes with water butts and permeable driveways.

Ministers are now said to be looking at similar proposals and hope that extra money can be raised to cut the bills of the poorest households on a social tariff, reports MailOnline.

Families with large properties have been warned they could face higher water bills. (Image: Getty)

Families with large gardens or swimming pools could face higher water bills for excessive use. (Image: Getty)

However, it is not yet clear how water companies would identify which households use large amounts of water to fill hot tubs and swimming pools without penalising large families. And officials stressed that no decisions have been made and discussions about various measures are in very early stages.

Ministers are also said to be looking at changing building regulations to encourage new homes to recycle “greywater” – wastewater from baths, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and sinks.

Research suggests that using greywater to flush a toilet or water the garden can save around 70 litres of drinking water per person per day in domestic households.

The possible changes to be brought in by the government come amid warnings that the UK is facing a shortfall of water within the next 15 years.

A report by think-tank Demos, commissioned by Affinity Water, found last year that the country faces a shortfall of 200 million litres of water by 2038.

Prior coming to power in July, Labour manifesto, when dicussing the nation’s water, promised to tackle the “nature emergency”, specifially dealing with pollution of rivers and seas. In March, their sewage pollution plan highlighted the bonuses that water industry bosses had “brazenly” awarded themselves, according to the Labour website and suggested that these would come to an end.

The party also promised to tackle what it described as “failing” water companies.

The plan included giving water regulator powers to block the payment of bonuses, water bosses who oversee repeated lawbreaking will face criminal charges and introducing severe and automatic fines that water companies cannot afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges, reports Water Magazine.

According to Environment Agency data, 2023 was the the worst for sewage spills since records began.