Unmetered water is still common in the rest of the UK. There is a gradual move to metering.
I think there is a good argument for metering water - it provides an incentive not to waste it, and potable water is expensive to supply and has a significant environmental impact.
It does need to be affordable even to people on the lowest incomes though.
But it’s unmetered, unlike most of the UK, and, as the other poster mentioned, cheaper.