The Environment Agency has launched a four-week
consultation today to determine areas of water stress in England,
and how best to protect the environment and safeguard supplies.
Climate change, population growth and the need to improve
our resilience to droughts are all putting pressure on water
supplies in areas of England.
Today’s consultation will provide up-to-date evidence on
water resources so that water companies experiencing the most
severe pressures adopt the highest level of water-saving
measures, helping to manage supplies in the future and ensure our
rivers, lakes and streams are protected.
Seven additional water company areas – Severn Trent Water,
South Staffordshire Water, Wessex Water, Portsmouth Water,
Cambridge Water, an area of South West Water, and the Isles of
Scilly – have been provisionally identified as priority
areas.
When an area is determined to be in serious water stress,
the water company for that area must publish a water resources
management plan (WRMP) that considers all options to manage
demand more effectively – including metering and greater leakage
reduction.
The Environment Agency’s new water stress maps will use
data from water companies and the National Framework for Water
Resources, and consider:
- a long-term view of water availability to 2050
- environmental needs, including chalk streams
- impacts of climate change and population growth
- the impact of a 1:500 level of resilience in our water
supplies
- planned water efficiency and leakage improvements
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency,
said:
“Climate change and population growth mean that if we don’t
take action now, in around 25 years water demand will exceed
availability in many areas. But before we reach that point the
first thing to suffer is the natural environment and we are
already seeing this happen.
“Turning this around will require a society-wide effort.
Water companies, Government, the Environment Agency, farmers and
individuals have roles to play. In that spirit, we welcome views
from all individuals and organisations on the approach and
potential solutions.
“Last year, Defra, the Environment Agency and others wrote
to water companies challenging them to accelerate investment in a
Green Recovery. With Ofwat we are reviewing some great ideas that
can benefit the environment and create jobs and we look forward
to action later this year.”
The Environment Agency is encouraging greater collaboration
between water companies to find innovative solutions to manage
demand across the country, such as the sharing of resources
through water transfers.
Each company’s WRMP will be subject to public consultation
before the Environment Secretary decides whether a company should
be allowed to publish and implement its final plan.
Environment Minister said:
“Water is a precious natural resource that we must all
value as our supplies come under increasing pressure.
“As a government we are proposing a legal target on water
demand in our forthcoming Environment Bill and working with water
companies to reduce leakage, tackle unsustainable abstraction and
pollution, and improve their planning for the future.
“I urge anyone with an interest to take part in this
consultation to help preserve supplies and improve our
environment for future generations.”
The consultation
opens today (11 February) for four weeks, until 11
March. The Environment Secretary will formally determine areas of
water stress later this year.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Water stress refers to a current or predicted situation where
water demand is higher than the water available for people,
business and the environment. Where this situation is prolonged
it poses risks to the security of water supplies and the
environment.
Water Stress Consultation
2021
-
Media factsheet
- Water companies in England are responsible for providing
clean drinking water and treating wastewater, with individual
companies each covering a specific area of the country. Some of
these areas have historically experienced greater pressure on
water resources than others.
- Areas where the current or future demand for water
is higher than the resources available to meet that
demand may be classed as being in serious water
stress.
- The determination does not mean that there will not be enough
water for supplies – water companies have long term plans to
ensure there will be enough water in future.
- However, as our water supplies come under increasing pressure
due to climate change and population growth, we need water
companies to better manage the volume of water they distribute.
- Companies in areas determined to be in serious
water stress must review and strengthen how they manage water
resources to better preserve supplies and protect the
environment. They must consider options to ensure
demand does not outstrip supply in their area, including charging
customers for the volume of water used, measured by a water
meter.
- The classification of water stressed areas was last updated
in 2013. The Environment Agency (EA) has recently reviewed these
classifications and produced updated provisional results.
- The EA is now launching a consultation asking for views on
these results and on the methods used to decide them.
- The consultation covers England only and will close on 11
March 2021.
- The EA will use the consultation responses to revise its
approach further if required, before updating the designations in
due course.
- The purpose of updating the designations is to inform which
water companies must consider new options to balance supply and
demand as part of their next water resources management plans.
- There is also an expectation of all water
companies to promote the efficient use of water,
even if they are not determined to be in an area of serious water
stress.
Understanding water
stress:
- Water stress is where one of the following applies to a water
company area:
- the current household demand for water is a high proportion
of the current effective rainfall which is available to meet that
demand.
- the future household demand for water is likely to be a high
proportion of the effective rainfall which is likely to be
available to meet that demand.
- Water stress applies to both the natural environment and to
public water supplies. Both will be affected by climate change.
- A greater understanding of the current and future pressures
on our water resources allows water companies to consider the
measures best suited to protecting supplies and the environment.
How the results were decided:
- The EA has used data from water companies and the National
Framework for Water Resources. It considers:
- a long-term view of water availability to 2050
- impacts of climate change and population growth
- environmental needs including chalk streams
- the impact of a 1:500 level of resilience in our water
supplies, as set out in the Government’s recent Infrastructure
Strategy
- planned water efficiency and leakage improvements
- The EA has drawn provisional conclusions on whether the
environment can cope with this expected level of use.
- These conclusions recommend which category a water company
area should be determined to be in; serious water stress, or not
seriously water stressed.
- The EA has produced a map reflecting the provisional
categories of all water company areas in England.
- The proposed method takes a long-term view of the
availability and demand for public water supply, rather than a
snapshot of shorter or peak periods.
New areas the consultation proposed should be in
serious water stress:
- The consultation proposes the following seven water company
areas move from “not serious” to “serious” water stress status:
- Severn Trent Water
- South Staffordshire Water
- Wessex Water
- Portsmouth Water
- Cambridge Water
- Bournemouth area of South West Water
- Isles of Scilly
- Companies already in areas of serious water stress remain the
same. These are:
- Anglian Water
- Affinity Water
- Essex and Suffolk Water
- South East Water
- SES Water
- Southern Water
- Thames Water
All other companies are determined as not water
stressed.
What a “serious” water stress determination allows
water companies to do differently:
-
Water companies in areas of serious water stress
must evaluate the option of introducing compulsory water
metering, where customers are charged for the
volume of water used.
- This is alongside other options in companies’ water resources
management plans. These plans will be subject to public
consultation and implemented if it is cost-effective and there is
support from customers.
- A water meter measures the exact amount of water used in a
home, rather than relying on estimates. Customers are charged for
water based on their consumption.
- This approach can encourage customers to use water more
efficiently to support the development of a sustainable water
supply. Evidence suggests the installation of a water meter
typically leads to a 15% reduction in water consumption.
- Metering can also help water companies reduce leakage because
they have a better understanding of where the water they supply
is used. This can help them improve the way they manage their
networks.
- However, there is an expectation of all water
companies to promote the efficient use of water even
if they are not determined to be in an area of serious water
stress.
Protection for chalk streams:
- The updated assessment method includes analysis of the
environmental requirements of rivers and groundwater.
- The EA has used a scenario which provides greater
environmental protection for Protected Areas, SSSIs, rivers and
wetlands, and principal salmon and chalk rivers.
- Our understanding of the impacts of abstraction on chalk
streams has improved in recent years, especially how groundwater
abstraction affects chalk stream flows. This has been included in
the assessment.
- The provisional results have moved three water companies with
chalk streams into the serious water stress category.
Views are being sought from:
- This consultation will be relevant to those interested in
managing the demand for water and the impacts of public water
supplies on the environment in England, including:
- water companies and regional water resources groups
- other regulators, such as Ofwat and Natural England
- conservation groups and NGOs such as Waterwise, Rivers Trusts
and Wildlife Trusts
- other water users, such as Canal & River Trust, Energy UK
- the water resource research and consultancy community
- the general public or those representing them, such as
Consumer Council for Water
- government agencies and public authorities including Natural
Resources Wales and local authorities
