THE south of Croydon will run out of water in the next 10 to 25 years, according to the company which supplies the area.
The dramatic forecast comes as residents are warned they will have to find ways to use less water.
Sutton and East Surrey Water (SESW) has released a draft report on the impending crisis and listed a number of reforms they plan to make to tackle it.
The first will be the installation of water meters in every home, while other moves include trying to find new water resources, diverting supplies from the Thames and improving the plugging of leaks.
The Environment Agency has already classed the South East of England as "under serious water stress", largely because of the focus on building new homes to cater for the population increase.
Stuart Hyslop of SESW, said: "If we take no action, our 'baseline' forecasts of supply and demand over the planning period show we expect existing sources to be insufficient to meet demand from 2023/24 onwards – called a 'supply-demand deficit'."
He said meters could be installed as early as 2015. If the plan is approved, compulsory metering would begin from 2020 for 10 years, with plans to have 90 per cent of properties metered by 2040.
The company is holding a public meeting at its headquarters in Reigate on Tuesday at Reigate Manor Hotel, Reigate Hill, from 9.30am to explain the plan and to invite questions.
