One in four litres of water is lost in Europe's water systems due to infrastructure deficits.

Omissions

• The official European Commission figure is 23% of treated water lost during distribution in the EU, and EurEau's most recent (2026) report gives 23.5% (down from 24% in 2021) — slightly below the 'one in four' (25%) figure used by the speaker.
• Leakage rates vary widely between Member States (the Commission cites a range from about 8% to 57%, with some sources noting up to 50% in the worst-performing countries), so an EU average masks very large national differences.
• EurEau's 2026 report was published on 23 June 2026, i.e. before the session date of 21 October 2026, so the data was available to the speaker; however the speaker did not cite any source for the figure.
• The claim attributes the figure to 'the president' (in the debate in the Community); the figure itself is a European Commission/EurEau statistic, not a personal statement by an EU institution president — an attribution nuance, not a factual error on the magnitude.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Environment (Water Wise EU): Poorly managed waterOn average, 23% of treated water is lost during distribution in the EU. What's the solution? fix leaking infrastructure; implement smart water metering.
• PrimaryEurEau — Publications ('Europe's Water in Figures', 23 June 2026)Europe's Water in Figures. 23 June 2026 | Reports & Annual Reports | 449 downloads. Europe's water services providers continue to deliver safe drinking water...
• SecondaryEuronews — 'The EU loses one in four litres of treated water. Can AI fix that?'The 2026 EurEau report shows a slight decrease in Europe's water losses to approximately 23.5 percent, down from 24 percent in the 2021 report.
• SecondaryWater News Europe — 'MEPs ask European Commission to step up for water resilience'"On average, 23% of treated water is lost each year through leaks in distribution networks. In some countries, this goes up to 50%."