Should We Just Wait Until the Tap Runs Dry?
Few people realise it, but Denmark is facing a real water crisis. Within a few years, residents in Copenhagen may lack access to clean drinking water — and other major cities could face similar challenges. The technology to address the problem already exists, yet the incentive to use it is missing.
By Jesper Holm Kristoffersen, CEO, Brunata A/S
In many European countries, it is taken for granted that we can turn on the tap and have access to clean water — enough to drink, do laundry, take long showers, and flush toilets. However, reality is changing.
A recent analysis from HOFOR indicates that by 2040, Copenhagen could face serious water scarcity. The study predicts that each resident could be short by around 33 litres of clean drinking water per day. And this is not a problem limited to Copenhagen — other large cities may face the same situation. Climate change, prolonged droughts, contaminated groundwater, and growing populations are putting enormous pressure on water supplies.
The question is no longer whether we will face a water problem — it is when, and what actions we will take.
Understanding Consumption Is Key to Change
One of the simplest ways to save water is through insight. Yet it is still uncommon for residents to know their exact cold water consumption. Like all other forms of consumption, water can be measured, compared, and monitored continuously — but this information is often unavailable.
This is paradoxical. As the crisis approaches, conversations about green transition, resource efficiency, and sustainability are increasing. Yet systematic measurement and insight into cold water consumption have not been introduced.
Without continuous metering, consumption remains opaque. What we do not see, we cannot change. This is a serious problem that requires action on multiple fronts.
Law Requires Information — But Not Measurement
From 1 July 2024, it will be legally required to inform residents about their water consumption at least once per year, under the Drinking Water Directive. This is a step in the right direction — but it raises an important question:
How can residents be informed about their exact consumption if there are no individual meters to record it?
Currently, there is no legal requirement in many countries to install individual cold water meters — not even in new buildings. Without metering, precise data, frequent updates, and real insight cannot be provided. The result is that homeowners, landlords, and administrators are left with responsibilities they are not equipped to manage.
Technology Exists — It Is the Will That Is Missing
Solutions are available. Technologies have long existed that make it possible to measure, analyse, and share consumption data — on a daily basis and in user-friendly formats. Wireless meters and digital platforms allow residents to access real-time water consumption data — without extra administration for landlords or housing associations.
Experience shows that when people gain insight into their consumption, behaviour changes. Not because anyone forces them, but because it becomes visible what their actions mean. This applies to heating, electricity — and very much to water.
Yet there is still no obligation to measure the most basic and vulnerable resource we have — cold water.
Why Not Make It Mandatory?
If we are serious about saving water and securing future supply, it is difficult to understand why individual cold water metering is not already a requirement. Legislation would give residents real insight and create equal conditions across the housing sector — while also supporting the green transition. Information is already a legal requirement; measurement should follow.
The water crisis is knocking at our door. It is not just about climate change, but about supply security, fairness, and responsibility. It is time to ask a simple question: Why are we not already measuring the most important resource?
If we want to take this challenge seriously, we must first make consumption visible. Only then can residents, landlords, and authorities act in time.
Jesper Holm Kristoffersen,
CEO, Brunata A/S