Southern Water, South East Water & Portsmouth Water

SOUTHERN WATER, SOUTH EAST WATER & PORTSMOUTH WATER STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS

ISLE OF WIGHT, SUSSEX, KENT & HAMPSHIRE

JUNE & JULY 2019

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ...... 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3 WORKSHOP ONE: STAKEHOLDERS’ AREAS OF INTEREST ...... 7 WORKSHOP TWO: REDUCING CONSUMPTION THROUGH BEHAVIOUR CHANGE ...... 11 WORKSHOP THREE: SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS ...... 25 WORKSHOP FOUR: BUILDING A SOCIAL CONTRACT ...... 33 WORKSHOP FIVE: YOUR PLEDGE ...... 43 APPENDIX I: ATTENDEES ...... 44 APPENDIX II: EVENT FEEDBACK ...... 46

INTRODUCTION

In June and July 2019, Southern Water hosted a series of four stakeholder workshops across its region. The workshops took place in the Isle of Wight (17 June), Sussex (27 June), Kent (28 June) and Hampshire (15 July). The Sussex and Kent workshops were co-hosted with South East Water, and Southern Water partnered with Portsmouth Water for the Hampshire workshop.

The workshops were aimed at gathering feedback from the companies’ stakeholders on the following topics:

• Achieving a resilient water future – reducing consumption through behaviour change • Collaboration to benefit all – supporting customers in vulnerable situations • Succeeding together – building a social contract.

The workshops also included Q&A sessions, which were hosted by Ian McAulay, Chief Executive of Southern Water, who was joined by South East Water and Portsmouth Water representatives at the joint events. Stakeholders were also invited to visit four information stands during breaks in the programme, where they could talk to staff from the water companies and ask questions. The stands had the following themes: Have your say with your local operations team; Southern Water’s work in the community; Protecting the environment; Leakage and distribution; and the Drainage & Wastewater Management Plan.

The workshops took place at the Lakeside Park Hotel in Ryde; the American Express Community Stadium (the Amex) in Brighton; the Hilton in Maidstone; and the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel & Spa in Southampton. All the events ran from 10am to 1.30pm and consisted of four presentations given by senior members of staff from Southern Water and the co-hosting water companies. Each presentation was followed by a round-table discussion session. In order to garner quantitative feedback, attendees were also asked to complete a number of feedback forms after the discussions.

Southern Water instructed EQ Communications (EQ), a specialist stakeholder engagement consultancy, to independently facilitate the workshops and to take notes of the comments made by stakeholders.

Every effort has been made to faithfully record the feedback given. In order to encourage candour and open debate, comments have not been attributed to individuals. Instead, all comments have been ascribed to the type of organisation that each stakeholder represents.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WORKSHOP ONE: STAKEHOLDERS’ AREAS OF INTEREST

WORKSHOP ONE PRESENTERS

Isle of Wight Ian McAulay, Chief Executive Officer at Southern Water

Sussex Ian McAulay and Steve George, Customer Services Director (South East Water)

Kent Ian McAulay and David Hinton, Asset & Regulation Director (South East Water)

Hampshire Ian McAulay and Bob Taylor, CEO at Portsmouth Water

The presentation for this workshop session can be found here on slides 3–16.

• The stakeholders who attended the workshops came from a range of backgrounds and many had worked with the water companies in the past. Most were keen to learn more about the topic areas up for discussion, including supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances and reducing water consumption through behaviour change. • Many of the stakeholders in attendance represented local authorities. Their primary area of concern related to the impact of planned new homes. It was widely felt that water companies should have more say in the planning process, both in regard to the location of new homes and in terms of ensuring that building regulations encourage water efficiency and water reuse. • It was felt that challenges facing the region such as climate change and population growth could only be addressed through collaboration between water companies and other relevant third parties, including local authorities, NGOs and housing developers.

WORKSHOP TWO: REDUCING CONSUMPTION THROUGH BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

WORKSHOP TWO PRESENTERS

Isle of Wight Ben Earl, Water Efficiency Manager, and Nick Price, Water Resources Planning Manager, both from Southern Water

Sussex Ben Earl, Nick Price and Lee Dance, Water Resources Planning Manager (South East Water)

Kent Ben Earl, Nick Price and Lee Dance

Hampshire Ben Earl, Nick Price and Steve Morley, Regulation Manager (Portsmouth Water)

The presentation for this workshop session can be found here on slides 19–47.

• Although stakeholders were keen to see more investment in infrastructure to address the challenges that water companies are facing, they also accepted that reducing consumption through behaviour change is vital. • At all four workshops, stakeholders pointed to education as the best way to encourage behaviour change, particular in terms of engaging with young people through schools. • While some people were in favour of introducing tariffs, including variable tariffs, there appeared to be more support for consumer incentives as a way of promoting behaviour change, with several stakeholders commenting that community rewards could be particularly effective. • It was felt that the key to reducing usage lies in improving customers’ knowledge of water consumption. Smart meters were seen as the best way to do this, and home visits were also seen as key in terms of raising awareness.

WORKSHOP THREE: SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS

WORKSHOP THREE PRESENTERS

Isle of Wight Stuart Bailey, Vulnerability Liaison Officer at Southern Water

Sussex Rachel Ryan-Crisp, Affordability & Vulnerability Lead (Southern Water), and Andy Clowes, Head of Customer Insight and Strategy (South East Water)

Kent Rachel Ryan-Crisp and Andy Clowes

Hampshire Rachel Dixon, Customer Support Advisor (Portsmouth Water)

The presentation from this workshop session can be found here on slides 49–62.

• Stakeholders were generally of the view that water companies should do more to promote the Priority Services Register (PSR) and the other financial and non-financial support that is available. • It was commented that a range of issues prevent some customers from taking advantage of the support that is available. This includes the perceived stigma of the term ‘vulnerable’ as well as issues relating to transient vulnerability and data sharing between organisations. • It was felt that the best way to overcome these challenges was through collaboration, particularly with trusted third parties such as local authorities, parish councils and the charity sector.

WORKSHOP FOUR: BUILDING A SOCIAL CONTRACT

WORKSHOP FOUR PRESENTERS

Isle of Wight Ian McAulay, Chief Executive Officer (Southern Water)

Sussex Ian McAulay and Steve George, Customer Services Director (South East Water)

Kent Ian McAulay and David Hinton, Asset & Regulation Director (South East Water)

Hampshire Ian McAuley and Ian Limb, Head of HR at Portsmouth Water

The presentation for this session can be found here on slides 64–74. • There was a good deal of support for the idea of water companies producing a social charter. Going above and beyond what is expected to deliver wider societal benefits rather than just existing to maximise profits for shareholders was seen as a good way of addressing customer mistrust of large utilities. • Stakeholders acknowledged that a social contract should be bilateral or multilateral in order to be truly effective, which required customers and third parties, as well as water companies, to hold up their side of the bargain. • Stakeholders were particularly keen to see water companies acting as custodians of the environment and there was a good deal of support for the concept of environmental enhancement, rather than just environmental protection, forming part of a social contract. • It was felt that initiatives that promote staff well-being and benefit communities should be included in a social contract. It was suggested that staff should be given a certain number of days per year for volunteering or promoting relevant initiatives such as Southern Water’s Target 100, which would help to build trust.

EVENT FEEDBACK

After the workshop, stakeholders were asked to complete a short feedback form about the event. Some of the key findings are shown below:

• 46% of attendees reported that they found the workshop ‘very interesting’, with 51% opting for ‘interesting’. • 96% ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they had the opportunity to make their points and ask questions. • 81% ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the right topics were covered for them on the day. • 54% thought EQ Communications’ facilitation was ‘very good’, with 43% opting for ‘good’. • 98% of stakeholders wanted to receive Southern Water’s post-event report and to be invited to similar events in the future.

WORKSHOP ONE: STAKEHOLDERS’ AREAS OF INTEREST

SUMMARY

The presenters outlined their companies’ roles, explaining that Southern Water provides both water and wastewater services to more than 4.6 million people while South East Water and Portsmouth Water provide drinking water to 2.2 million customers and over 300,000 homes respectively. They then talked attendees through some of the challenges the companies are facing, including climate change, water scarcity and the level of population growth expected in the region. For a full list of the presenters over the four events, turn to page 3.

Stakeholders were then given a summary of the companies’ Business Plans (2020–2025), with the presenters explaining how these had been informed by stakeholder feedback and customer satisfaction surveys. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session, after which stakeholders were asked to introduce themselves to the rest of their table and briefly explain their reasons for attending the workshop.

Stakeholders from a range of backgrounds were in attendance. Across the workshops, 42% were there to represent borough, district and county councils either as officers or elected members. While stakeholders shared common areas of interest across the workshops, each workshop elicited local concerns and interests; in Hampshire, for example, stakeholders were primarily concerned with wastewater and flooding issues, while Isle of Wight stakeholders were interested in how Southern Water’s plans would fit in with the island’s goals to become environmentally self-sustainable.

Concern about the impact of new housing on water resilience was a common thread running through the four workshops, with stakeholders pointing to local examples of planned developments. Stakeholders’ concerns centred around the strain that these new homes would place on the sewerage and water supply systems, the need for new infrastructure, and the impact of building homes on flood plains. At more than one workshop, stakeholders expressed their surprise that water companies are not statutory consultees on planning applications, and there were widespread calls across all the workshops for Southern Water to take a more active role in the planning process through a change in legislation. In addition, it was widely thought that water companies should lobby for changes to building regulations and work alongside local authorities to influence housing developers to include water efficiency and water reuse measures in new homes.

Across all four events, a significant number of stakeholders had an interest in environmental matters and sustainability, raising issues from water recycling to wildlife protection. Stakeholders often alluded to local environmental issues, such as nitrates in the Solent and the Itchen, and were keen to work in

collaboration with water companies on issues such as catchment management, flood prevention and reducing pollution incidents.

The need for greater collaboration and partnership was a recurring theme across all four events, and it was seen as positive that the joint workshops reflected a spirit of collaboration. It was felt that water companies should collaborate with relevant partners, including local authorities and housing developers, with a view to increasing water resilience and addressing some of the many challenges that the region is facing, particularly with regard to water scarcity and population growth.

Stakeholders also attended because they were keen to learn more about some of the specific initiatives that Southern Water are involved in, such as schemes aimed at helping people in vulnerable circumstances or lowering water consumption through behavioural change.

1) What is your role and why have you attended today?

Isle of Wight

• “I work very closely with Southern Water, amongst other partners. We host round-table discussions to address water supply quality issues. We also work with mainland teams across catchments to identify problems pre-emptively.” Voluntary group • “I work a lot with flood risk, catchments, resources, [etc.]. I’ve been a consultee on Southern Water plans.” Council officer • “I’m involved with planning issues in Ryde. I’m concerned with population growth, particularly in Ryde, where we’re looking at over 10,000 houses being built. This implies issues with sewage.” Local councillor • “I’m an assistant manager of a trust on the Isle of Wight which was originally set up to reduce the carbon footprint here. However, we have now moved on to working with people in fuel poverty, meaning that we go into residents’ homes, helping them with their bills and with reducing their water use. I want to find out what we can do to help.” Environmental group • “I work for Portsmouth City Council. I’m interested in the nitrate situation, so I’d like to be able to find out more about what you’re doing in this area.” Local councillor • “I’m a chief officer for Citizens Advice, which helps people with issues relating to difficulties in paying bills and resources. I’m here to see how we can help further.” Community group • “I want to know what’s going to happen to improve existing infrastructure and see what we can do to safeguard water supplies.” Parish councillor • “I want to understand how we deliver a more strategic vision around water management. I’m very interested in your work in catchments.” Environmental group

Sussex

• “The water companies are still not a statutory consultee. It’s crazy: we’ve been talking about that for 30 years. It’s wrong. It needs to change. I’m here to make that point.” Environmental group • “A huge number of houses have been put into our parish, and we’re worried about the sewage. It was running at capacity, they’ve found more capacity somehow, but more and more houses are coming. I’m here to talk about this.” Parish councillor • “I’m here to look at the future infrastructure needs that will underpin growth and development. I’m also interested in the future of farming. In my local authority, we have an influence on residents in the city and want to make the city more water resilient. We want to collaborate with you all.” Council officer • “I’m a local consumer advocate. I took on the role because I was concerned about the level of infrastructure investment. I’m supportive of the water efficiency measures, but I think we should be investing in the future to capture more water in the winter.” Business representative • “As the Chairman of The Rivers Trust, my interest today is that I see Southern Water as our main partner in taking our own developments forward. What we do with our rivers is completely linked with Southern Water’s future plans.” Charity • “I’m a catchment coordinator, and we have a partnership for various organisations like The Rivers Trust, Southern Water and South East Water, as well as councils, and we come together with ideas of how to put projects in place, get funding and improve the local water environment.” Environmental group • “I work in a flood risk management team; we’re a statutory consultee for planning applications on a local level. We work closely with the Environment Agency.” Voluntary group

Kent

• “I’m a newly elected Green Party councillor. Everyone is asking about the infrastructure for new houses.” Local councillor • “I’m from the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Kent Resilience Forum. We do emergency planning. I did the water disruption plan for the county. I’m interested in the state of collaborative working and how we can improve to support the industry. As the fire service, we use water in our work, so we’re looking to improve our services.” Voluntary group • “I’m head of assets at a local authority, with a background in building control. I will be charged at Dover with an emerging green agenda and how we deal with that. Planning is as important as delivery. We’re building houses, and we could build more. We’re already thinking about energy in terms of carbon during building. Water consumption is the other half of the story. So, I’m here for intelligence gathering.” Council officer

• “I work for an NGO on water efficiency across the UK, and I’m here to see what Southern Water are doing with water efficiency and reducing per capita consumption.” Environmental group • “I’m the emergency planning officer for my council, and I’m concerned about future water resilience, particularly in my area with all these new developments being planned.” Council officer • “I sit on water company focus groups in the region to give input on the planning process. I work with local authorities on major new developments. Currently, we’re looking into implementing a recycled water system in a large new development. We are also looking at integrated solutions for water, wastewater and flood management.” Council officer

Hampshire

• “I’m here on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water. I’m interested in resilience in terms of knowledge, the planning that has already been done, the wider network and best practices. I’m also interested in consumer experience and consumer knowledge of environmental issues.” Community group • “A lot of people are concerned about storm water discharges and the effect on wildlife. There can also be issues with debris and gunk stemming from this. People seem to be very happy with Portsmouth Water, but less so with Southern Water.” Local councillor • “I'm an ecologist, heavily involved in the work for licence reductions and water resource planning for the next five years, and I’m also interested in the social contract element of today, thinking about issues of trust and how we promote and encourage behavioural change.” Environmental group • “I'm on the flood management team; we are the local flood authority for water management and flooding, and I'm especially interested in the issue of resilience." Council officer • "I'm a parish councillor and leader of opposition but I'm independent and fairly green. At Itchen Navigation, our nitrate levels are really bad. There are also concerns about sewage going into the river." Local councillor • “I’m a farmer. I’m quite concerned about the future of the River Meon. There are plans to build 6,000 new houses in Fareham. The River Meon won’t be able to cope with this change.” Business representative • “We are a Southern Water customer, and I suppose my burning interest is our manufacturing sites, but also improving the water efficiency of our sites. We’re a watercress producer, based in and around Dorset and Hampshire.” Business representative

WORKSHOP TWO: REDUCING CONSUMPTION THROUGH BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

SUMMARY

The presentation began with an update on water resources in the region and an explanation of the challenges that the water companies are facing. The presentation then focused on the companies’ plans for the region, including initiatives to develop a multi-sector regional resilience plan by 2022, to be delivered through company Water Resources Management Plans.

The presentation then moved on to initiatives that encourage consumers to reduce their water consumption. It was explained that the water companies are proposing to achieve this ambition through behaviour change campaigns such as incentives, home visits and smart metering, as well as new infrastructure such as the Havant Thicket reservoir. The presenters also outlined partnerships that aim to encourage consumers to reduce their water usage, such as Water for Life and Southern Water’s campaign to include labelling on products to show their water consumption. The names of the presenters for this workshop can be found on page 3.

When stakeholders were asked about the companies’ current strategies for water resources, it became clear that there were mixed views. Nearly half of stakeholders (49%) agreed that the current strategy is effective and appropriate, although it should be noted that 38% described their opinion as ‘neutral’. There was strong support for the companies’ work to reduce average per capita consumption, with several stakeholders giving examples of small behavioural changes that could make a difference and expressing support for initiatives such as Target 100. However, a number of stakeholders felt that targeting businesses, particularly SMEs, rather than individuals would make the strategy more efficient. Most stakeholders were strongly in favour of water companies coordinating their demand reduction initiatives, with only 2% disagreeing with this approach and some stakeholders indicating that they were wary of applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

It was commented that there should be more investment in infrastructure to address water scarcity, although several stakeholders felt that the plans to build a new reservoir in the region were not enough to address the problem. Stakeholders were generally of the view that leakage is currently too high and that targets for leakage reduction should be more exacting. Although desalination was seen by some as an effective solution, others pointed out that it could be expensive and carbon intensive. At most of the workshops, stakeholders also called for a more joined-up approach that involves water companies, local authorities and developers, with a number of stakeholders calling for a change in legislation to

make water-saving measures, such as rainwater collection, part of building regulations. Some stakeholders took this further, suggesting that a ‘national grid’ of water companies is needed.

There seemed to be consensus that water was undervalued, partly because it is a relatively cheap resource and partly owing to a lack of knowledge among domestic customers about how water companies operate. Stakeholders felt that it was important to help consumers value water and put forward similar suggestions to address this across the four workshops. Common suggestions across the workshops included more detailed breakdowns on bills, publishing data on water consumption in the local area, and engaging with young people in schools. A common recommendation was for water companies to frame water usage as an environmental issue, given the public’s current concern about single-use plastic. Water-saving products, such as shower timers, were seen as a useful tool, and some felt that legislation and government also had a part to play.

Stakeholders felt that the best way to direct water efficiency campaigns to the people who need them most was to work in collaboration with community groups and third parties, with 53% favouring this approach. Working with local authorities and attending community events were also popular approaches, gaining 31% and 16% of votes respectively. Stakeholders suggested working with organisations such as parish councils, associations of local councils (ALCs), gyms and the WI.

Most stakeholders felt that the low price of water makes it more challenging to effect behavioural change. Views on how best to achieve this change varied hugely, although the most popular approach was seen to be smart meters, with 42% of stakeholders supporting this option and several stakeholders explaining that if consumers have a better awareness of how much water they use, it will be easier for them to use less. However, some felt that metering would not be effective as there is a lack of trust towards the water companies.

While some felt that variable or block tariffs should be introduced to promote behavioural change, others had concerns that financial incentives may unfairly penalise some consumers who struggle to pay their bills or who may have legitimate reasons for greater water usage, such as medical issues. Incentives were generally seen as effective, with 17% of attendees supporting this approach, particularly if the benefits were aimed at communities rather than individuals, which would also enable incentives to be tailored to each demographic. It was widely felt that ‘nudge theory’, an approach that uses positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions, could be applied to create the same social stigma for wasting water that now exists for drink driving or not wearing a seat belt. It was felt that national government-led campaigns had a part to play in this.

1) Do you have any comments on the current strategy for water resources?

How do you feel about the following statement: "Our current strategy for water resources is effective and appropriate"

Avg. 3.44 out of 5 45% (5 = strongly agree) 38%

12% 4% 1%

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

Isle of Wight

• “Here on the Isle of Wight, we have water meters and they do work in getting use down.” Community group • “For me, the whole strategy needs to be statutory-led. If water use becomes metered, people will try and use less.” Local councillor • “Please try and fully replicate the smart-meter model used in the electricity industry. The technology is there and works.” Parish councillor • “I don’t think that smart meters are helping to bring down electricity use, so I’m sceptical about whether they would work to reduce water use among people who are not purely looking to save money. You need to engage with people on an emotional level.” Environmental group • “The biggest improvement we could make on the island is closer working between planning, development and Southern Water. It’s tied in at an early stage. You should plan looking ahead, not just for now. I want to see responsible representatives like yourselves working with councils to produce a better island.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “What’s not clear to me is that you probably have a number of businesses using a lot, who you could target disproportionately to householders to get more bang for your buck. We could help as stakeholders to do that.” Council officer • “The big water-consuming industries and farming sectors are already having these conversations about reducing water consumption. The small businesses aren’t at the moment – the hairdressers, hotels, and cafes – that’s where you need to focus.” Environmental group

• “This is all great stuff, but there doesn’t seem to be any real tactic from any of the major water companies about desalination. In the future, it’s very likely we’ll have a more Mediterranean climate and we should be looking further into preparing for that future.” Environmental group • “The first thing water companies should be doing is investing in infrastructure. It’s criminal that so many leaks are allowed. That’s lost revenue for them, and from an environmental and business point of view, that’s a terrible figure.” Parish councillor • “With regard to leakage, as anyone who runs a business knows, it’s about relative return. I’m thinking about properties I’m responsible for, and they must be leaking water, but am I going to pay someone to go around every property to check every water system? I’m not going to. So, somehow, all around the system the pricing needs to be there for us to work together. Incentives need to be there.” Charity • “It seems what we’re doing is encouraging reduced usage and expanding reservoirs, it just feels like sticking plasters. We have a lot of water in this country, but it’s just in the wrong places. Why isn’t there an imaginative plan to get water to where it’s needed? They’re doing this in Spain.” Council officer • “We’re building new houses where you can harvest and use rainwater. What can water companies do to encourage planning authorities to put conditions on developments? Developers need compulsion or they won’t do it.” Voluntary group

Kent

• “Eventually, your behaviour becomes a norm – there’s things that we’ve introduced at home, such as using a bucket when the shower is warming up to flush the toilet. This sort of thing needs to be embedded.” Voluntary group • “For big changes, like when they introduced seat belts, it worked because there was legislation behind it. For LED lighting, a signal from Europe helped, and then LEDs become cheaper because of economies of scale. There’s the legislation part, but it’s also how you link this with nudge theories.” Council officer • “I’d love for my bath water to go into a tank so that I could use it in my garden.” Environmental group • “In your plan you are talking about new reservoirs being built, but there would be a huge amount of resistance to that.” Parish councillor • “22% is a lot of water to be losing through leakages, and to say we are going to halve it by 2050 is not really good enough. The plan that goes out in 60 years to build just one reservoir to supply about 50,000 people is not good enough. We are building a housing estate in Ashford of thousands of new houses. There’s not going to be enough water to supply them.” Parish councillor

Hampshire

• “Demand reduction is a very small part of reducing water consumption. The strategy should be to work with the government on this and ask people whether they feel incentivised to be more efficient with their water usage. At the moment, it’s more like sticking plasters and we’re not actually solving the problem.” Community group • “The basic problem is that there’s no joined-up thinking by government. They need to get their act together. Government is forcing local authorities to build more houses but are not thinking about the resources needed to do it.” Local councillor • “I think there has definitely been a shift in people’s attitudes towards the natural environment and I do think that people will respond positively towards using natural capacity wisely.” Voluntary group • “You should be incentivising manufacturers and employing nudge theory.” Parish councillor • “There’s a layer of bureaucracy which I could do without.” Local councillor • “Southern Water’s current strategy seems good as far as it goes. Greywater recycling could be very useful.” Local councillor • “We have a national grid for electricity and gas, so why don’t we have it for water? The cost of transferring water is huge, but if you’re going to have a shortage in one area and a surplus in another, you’ve got to get around these issues.” Local councillor • “Energy has been a big target for us. When we look at energy reduction, we talk about three areas: behavioural, operational, and technological. Behavioural change is the low-cost option, then with operational aspects, the costs start to increase. When you get to technology, that is starting to be the big bucks. As individuals, we waste a huge amount of water and that’s got to be dealt with first. Water companies have that in terms of leakage too. Then, you can start to talk about improving the technology and infrastructure.” Charity

2) Do you have any comments on our drought permit / order preparations?

Hampshire

• “It’s probably an easier sell if you do it in July or August.” Local councillor • “How compliant is the population when there is a drought? Is there a definite shift in behaviour?” Parish councillor • “We need to work better to recoup the excess rainfall times and save them for times of drought.” Local councillor • “How difficult would it be for us to share the water around the country?” Local councillor

3) How can water companies work with customers to understand the value of water?

Isle of Wight

• “I have had the visit from Southern Water a year ago, which led to significant savings and advice. It was a useful experience that I passed on to others.” Local councillor • “Everyone I’ve mentioned water-saving products to was enthusiastic.” Community group • “The idea of saying ‘water will run out in 25 years’ is really striking.” Parish councillor • “You need to communicate and engage more regularly. The next time that I will hear from you is October. So much will have happened over the summer and I will know nothing about what’s been going on.” Local councillor • “People take water for granted. We need to bring water into a wider bracket of sustainability. There’s a strong involvement in the community with sustainable living here, and we need to get more links with major players such as yourselves.” Local councillor • “We need to get the message of the value of water into schools. There needs to be a very strong Southern Water community strategy. The tackling of plastics was a fantastic framework that Southern Water could take inspiration from, taking advantage of the community infrastructure that already exists within the island.” Local councillor • “Hit people with the money. Say how much a washing machine, shower, bath, etc. costs. When your bill comes through, it’s written on that, but maybe you should also have a fridge magnet or have the information on the washing machine itself.” Local councillor

Sussex

• “Your comment about not calling it wastewater makes a big difference. Its people’s perception. You need to use the right language.” Parish councillor • “What about carbon-footprinting water usage? Every drop of water involves a pump somewhere. It might get through to some people if we frame it that way.” Charity • “In terms of where meter readings come in, we can localise consumption data. Putting an emphasis on the residents and highlighting the average consumption for the district would be good.” Local councillor • “People look out the window and see rain. People need to understand the bigger picture of how it gets to your tap. I think education is the answer.” Business representative • “I like the idea of the water bill having a graph showing exactly how much water you’ve used compared to previous years. It’s a very basic but worthwhile thing to do. When we got our bill and noticed it had doubled in the past year, it made us as a household look at our consumption to see what was going on. I also like the idea of items being assessed as to how well they use water.” Local councillor

• “I believe the biggest problem you have is that the public does not perceive the value of water. It’s free, as far as we are concerned. I think water companies and the Environment Agency need to show us the value. It’s not just monetary value, it’s about the damage done to the environment and what’s going to happen in the future. The difference between now and ten years ago is that now people are very aware and proactive about environmental issues. I think your target as a water company should be to create that value.” Business representative

Kent

• “I’ve changed to a meter, and I don’t think it’s changed our water behaviour. In our work with the police, fire service and ambulance [service], a lot of it starts in the schools. You should target them.” Voluntary group • “I think we need somebody like David Attenborough to get to grips with our water [usage] as a country and raise how precious a resource it is. We need that level of engagement with everyone.” Environmental group • “We can’t wait for drip-feed programmes. In times of drought, there is a hosepipe ban and advertising. We have to act now, not wait till 2050. There should be regulations for buildings. Why aren’t new developments built with grey-water systems and solar panels? We need a massive programme now.” Local councillor • “I think with metering and billing, it needs to be about the integrity of the data and understanding the data as well. It’s all very well having smart meters, but if a customer doesn’t understand or care about what you’re showing them, it’s useless. It’s often not tangible.” Environmental group • “There’s a huge opportunity coming up with all these new developments. You could work with local authorities, parish councils and individual developers to include a welcome pack for new residents that shows that there is no new water and shows where their water is coming from and how it’s being measured. It would help to reinforce the message of water efficiency, as well as helping ground them in the local area.” Parish councillor

Hampshire

• “People need a regular update on how they are doing, and a biannual bill just doesn’t give you that.” Voluntary group • “We all need to see the figures of how well we are doing at a local level.” Local councillor • “You need to publicise the scarcity of water, as people don’t realise this is a potential crisis.” Council officer • “You need to tell people what’s in it for them. What is the end result for residents of building the reservoir? Make it tangible.” Government body • “They should send out shower restrictor valves free of charge.” Voluntary group

• “Like with the single-use plastics debate, it’s about getting people to connect with the value of water. There needs to be that connection with water that brings people back and makes them realise what they’re doing when they’re watering their garden.” Charity • “The law has to be changed. There has to be metering.” Parish councillor • “Rather than a ‘doom and gloom’ message, it is going to be more about helping people understand water as a resource, and that we need to treasure it.” Environmental group

4) Should Southern Water coordinate their demand reduction initiatives with other water companies in their region and are there any issues to consider?

How do you feel about the following statement: "Southern Water should coordinate its demand reduction initatives with other water companies in the area"

Avg. 4.59 out of 5 64% (5 = strongly agree)

31%

4% 0% 2%

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

Isle of Wight

• “Each company has different challenges, so a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t necessarily be fair.” Local councillor • “The message would be more effective if it were spread across the whole region.” Parish councillor • “Southern Water are one of the better water companies. You shouldn’t associate yourselves with others that are failing in this arena.” Council officer • “You should coordinate with other water companies. It should be a national issue. If you have good examples of work you’re doing, you can point out the lessons learned.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “Yes. Of course, you should work together. It’s too confusing for customers otherwise.” Environmental group • “I agree that you should be working in collaboration with as many institutions as possible.” Parish councillor

• “From a business perspective, there needs to be better collaboration with retailers, as businesses use a huge amount of water. How do you get that message to retailers that we’re all aligned and need to reduce consumption? It’s not just about household customers. There needs to be stronger collaboration.” Business representative

Kent

• “There needs to be a fundamental shift in the industry involving collaboration with water companies, the local authority and housing developers at the early stage of the house building plans, as it’s currently too reactive.” Council officer • “You’ve been working well together today, so it should be possible.” Council officer • “The water-labelling scheme means companies who don’t want their showerheads to be a lower efficiency don’t use it. There will be some areas where you can save water effectively, like in washing machines and white goods, but this requires lobbying, and the best way to do that is through collaboration.” Parish councillor

Hampshire

• “There should be a system for sharing data and information that all water companies can agree on and be more open. It's difficult for us as a local authority to share information, but it’s good if we can. We need to understand what the asset is and how we can work together.” Council officer • “There needs to be a review of the geography of the regions these organisations operate in, because natural resources don’t have boundaries. It would be good to have some sharing of resources and some way of recognising that.” Council officer • “Seems to be pressure on the south east, so there definitely should be collaboration.” Business representative • “Why don’t we have a national grid for water?” Environmental group

5) What is the best way to direct water efficiency campaigns to the customers that need it most?

Which of the following do you think are the most effective in order to direct water efficiency campaigns for the customers who need it most?

53%

31%

16%

Attending community events Working in collaboration with local Working with community groups and authorities other third parties

Isle of Wight

• “Anything you do has got to involve social media.” Local councillor • “Our parish newsletters are delivered to every house, and every house gets one. A full-page ad only costs £17. It’s a small amount of money if it’s a community thing. As you’re not advertising to make money, it may even cost nothing.” Parish councillor • “Local authorities and government associations know lots of people. We could pass on the appropriate information.” Local councillor • “Set children projects where their parents will help them. Maybe it could involve people having a home water visit? This will spread the message.” Local councillor • “The town and parish councils meet regularly; presentations to them will give you direct access to an enormous cross section of the public.” Council officer • “With two of the most deprived wards in the UK, we have a large amount of social housing. Could you run a scheme similar to the one we run with solar?” Local councillor

Sussex

• “I think you could go into gyms and things like that. Get them to start installing water-saving products, with the incentive that they get free showers if they publicise the company that supplied it.” Parish councillor • “I think joint utility billing would be helpful. There must be a much more efficient way of working across the sector that would also save money on the customers’ bills.” Voluntary group • “Perhaps spread the word through local authorities in their regular circulars.” Business representative

• “The parish councils and towns have websites that people look at.” Local councillor • “I heard about making it mandatory to make the costs of water use clear and available. If that information was available, it would be enormously helpful.” Voluntary group

Kent

• “You need to work with people who are connected with the community. We work with Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) and do a lot from an emergency planning perspective. They’re a key link. If you do something as a parish or community to reduce the bills as a whole, then something can go back into the community.” Voluntary group • “There needs to be government funding in order to have a national campaign that drives awareness, like the Think! road safety campaign. Now, people are aware and it has become socially unacceptable to drink and drive. We need a really big campaign across the whole of the UK that includes government, NGOs and local councils.” Environmental group • “It’s easier to get through to places with a stable population. In places like cities or university areas where people come and go, the messages would have to be repeated frequently because you’re not telling the same person each time. You have to think about that because they are often areas of large usage as well.” Parish councillor • “Attend local carnivals and fetes. Demonstrate the water scarcity, using something like your stalls up there, or an app you can play on for kids. That would be very informative and impactful. And go into schools. Kids influence adults’ behaviour at all levels.” Council officer

Hampshire

• “I don’t know if the water industry is talking to the electricity industry to find solutions. Is there a place for councils to be going into people’s homes? We still have our housing register and spend a lot of time talking about things like insulation and new roofs, but we haven’t spoken about fitting more efficient toilets and showers.” Local councillor • “You need to look at how to get the community involved. You need to find advocates with a lot of outreach.” Local councillor • “People tend to change their habits when they move, so maybe you could target people when they do that.” Council officer • “The best method in my opinion is a television campaign. You have to engage with a mass audience, similar to how the AIDS campaign ran TV ads which completely changed perceptions.” Local councillor • “You need to target children to put pressure on their parents. Go into schools and present it as an environmental message that kids can take home and present to their parents.” Local councillor

6) How should water companies be incentivising customers to change their behaviour?

Which of the following do you think is the most effective way to encourage customers to become more water efficient?

42%

31%

17% 10%

Offering personal and Customer contact Home visits Smart meters community rewards

Isle of Wight

• “Cost commands a heightened level of awareness. There are lessons to be learned there in terms of the customer-supplier relationship.” Local councillor • “I don’t have a smart meter, but I still do monthly readings and I know what my usage is. There’s nothing stopping people from monitoring monthly consumption. I think people would engage more with personal incentives.” Voluntary group • “The concept of peak times for water is good, but you have to be careful as there is a social duty of care. When it’s hotter, people need to consume more water.” Council officer • “You have products and industries which use a ton of water, such as Jacuzzis and hot tubs. You should work with them on marketing to get people to behave more responsibly.” Local councillor • “The problem is you can only really give the impression of benefits; water is so cheap that a saving isn’t really an incentive.” Parish councillor • “I think a better approach would be to issue a report on consumption and give them a discount on the bill. You could also email people to tell them they’re near an incentive.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “I personally think water is too cheap, but that’s a difficult message to sell, so I think incentives are the best way to go.” Business representative • “In the long term, I think variable tariffs are the way to go. Older folk think there are no problems with water as we get so much rain in this country, but things are changing.” Local councillor

• “If you have flexible charging, then a family with six kids will be very hard hit, so it needs to take those sorts of things into account.” Parish councillor • “Blue Planet showed just two minutes of plastic wastage and looked at the impact that had. The question is around linking with psychologists. All of this is around behavioural change, but we are not behavioural experts. Our communication isn’t working, so we need to change the message.” Voluntary group • “Why have block tariffs gone off the agenda?” Charity • “There should definitely be tariffs. It won’t work if I’m making sure to use my water as efficiently as possible, but my neighbour wastes a lot of water hosing in the garden.” Voluntary group • “Go for a carrot-and-stick approach as opposed to just the carrot or the stick.” Voluntary group • “I like the ‘your neighbour is doing better than you’ scheme on a larger area scale.” Parish councillor

Kent

• “Incentives will probably work, even if they’re small. If you reward people for being Target 100 or under, it will make a difference to some people.” Environmental group • “Domestic consumers will be thinking that it’s the commercial organisations that should really be doing more to reduce their consumption. It’s about education on what is really being done on a commercial level.” Voluntary group • “Southern Water was one of the first companies to do metering on a large scale. The lessons worldwide show that communication is what stimulates change.” Voluntary group • “I think it’s a question of offering incentives. People will respond to feeling like they’re helping the environment, but they will only integrate those systems if you give them some money towards it. If a rainwater capture system costs £200 and Southern Water offer us £30 towards it, it’s only small, but it would make a huge psychological difference.” Environmental group • “Do you think tailor-made bills stating percentages of average consumption would help? This should be up on the top.” Parish councillor • “The only way to get your customers to think about water is if there is a tax on the amount they use. If you have a costing rate on a scale, then the customer would think about it.” Parish councillor • “You could deal with it in terms of cost and saving. If a bill payer can demonstrate over a period that they can reduce the amount of your water they use, repaying them some of the cost as rebate can reward them. Persuasion isn’t going to work. Plastic carrier bags didn’t go out of use because people watched a video, it’s because people were charged 5p.” Parish councillor

Hampshire

• “Financial incentives are key.” Local councillor

• “The financial incentives are not incentives. The costs are irrelevant, unlike electricity, where you can literally save hundreds of pounds.” Local councillor • “As a customer I've had someone come around to review my house and give out free shower heads. The Target 100 is a superb effort.” Environmental group. • “The water efficiency label is fantastic. You have a visual which is easy to engage with. You just need to attach it to a wider promotional framework.” Environmental group • “I think it works differently for different demographics. Incentives need to be targeted for the specific economic standing of certain regions. A wealthy area would need to be incentivised differently from a financially struggling one.” Environmental group • “I think that community-based incentives are the only way that we’ll be able to change habits and reduce water usage.” Parish councillor • “I like the idea of a free minimum amount of water, and above that, you have to pay.” Charity • “If we don’t meter what leaves our houses, then we don’t know what we are wasting and losing. It’s very difficult to be water efficient in your house. If you’re a business, you pay a huge amount for wastewater. So, the less we can put out as waste, the more money you save.” Business representative

WORKSHOP THREE: SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS

SUMMARY

At each workshop, the presenters gave an overview of vulnerability in the local area. They then explained how the water companies help customers in vulnerable situations by providing both financial and non-financial assistance. They then outlined the Priority Services Register (PSR), which allows water companies to identify people in vulnerable situations and provide extra support, for example, by prioritising individuals who most need assistance in the event of an emergency.

Stakeholders were then talked through the water companies’ ambition that every customer in vulnerable circumstances receives the help they need. After the presentation, attendees were asked to suggest ways to improve how the companies promote the PSR as well as financial and non-financial assistance initiatives to eligible customers. For a list of the presenters who ran this session at each event, please turn to page 4.

Stakeholders had a mix of views as to whether water companies currently do enough to help customers in vulnerable circumstances. The most prevalent answer given by stakeholders to this question during the vote was ‘neutral’, with stakeholders giving an average response of 3.1 out of 5. It should be noted, however, that many stakeholders were not aware of the work that the water companies do in this area, as many attendees at the workshops stated that they had no prior knowledge of the PSR. Stakeholders who felt water companies could do more called for them to raise awareness of the PSR, improve their collaboration with other organisations and expand their definition of vulnerability.

Across all of the workshops, stakeholders agreed that the use of the term ‘vulnerable’ may have a negative effect on PSR sign-up, as some people who qualify do not wish to be labelled as ‘vulnerable’. The recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was another challenge, as it makes it more difficult for local authorities or doctors’ surgeries, for example, to share individuals’ details with utilities. To overcome these challenges, stakeholders suggested that water companies should use mapping data to identify people who need support. Across all four workshops, stakeholders seemed to see collaborative working as key, and they put forward a number of suggestions as to how their organisations can work with water companies on increasing PSR take-up, including community-drop ins, attendance at local authority partnership events, and sharing data and local knowledge.

It was pointed out that some local authorities have staff whose role involves ‘signposting’ those in need, which could be an effective way of increasing PSR numbers, as could making use of data, for example, data on people who are eligible for blue badges. It was also suggested that making promotional

materials available in locations such as GP surgeries could help with this and that promoting initiatives at foodbanks would ensure that people who struggle to pay their water bills are made aware of the financial support that is available.

Direct referrals and community events were seen by stakeholders as the best ways for water companies to promote their work around supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances, earning 26% and 23% of the stakeholder vote respectively. However, a number of stakeholders stressed that people who need assistance but are, for one reason or another, hard to reach need to be made aware of the support that is available to them. It was added that some of the people who are most in need may be unlikely to attend a community event. In addition, it was commented that water companies should consider transient vulnerability, as many people find themselves needing support for a short period of time, including people with a short-term medical condition and people who have recently lost their jobs. Only 7% of stakeholders felt that organised door-knocking was the best approach, with some stakeholders seeing this approach as invasive.

In order to successfully raise awareness of support initiatives among people who require assistance, it was suggested that water companies could engage with people in areas with high footfall, such as town centres or shopping centres. It was also felt that water companies should seek to build partnerships with organisations such as Citizens Advice and the Salvation Army, as well as local government at all tiers.

1) Do you feel that water companies currently do enough to help customers in vulnerable situations? Are the services we outline the right ones?

How do you feel about the following statement: "Water companies currently do enough to support customers in vulnerable situations"

Avg. 3.1 out of 5 48% (5 = strongly agree)

34%

15%

2% 1%

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

Isle of Wight

• “We feel that things have greatly improved working with Southern Water in this area in the last six months. Previously, there was very mixed feedback in terms of complex cases. I would say that there needs to be more promotion, which would improve access.” Environmental group • “In my limited experience, you have been very quick at helping with situations that might impact vulnerable customers.” Local councillor • “Water companies aren’t doing enough. What if you earn slightly higher than the cut-off number quoted in the presentation? Families could be earning more than that and still be having financial problems. There are all sorts of problems with means testing.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “They are doing more than I expected. That’s a positive thing.” Parish councillor • “Southern Water did do a survey of customers to ask whether they would be prepared to add more to their bill to help support vulnerable customers and give them cheaper bills, and there was huge support for a small increase. There are some very poor people in the south east but also some extremely rich people.” Voluntary group

Kent

• “As an industry, what I think is missing is people that sit just outside of the boundaries of what would be classified as vulnerable. There’s a lot of people that fall through the gaps, those who use foodbanks but are employed, for example.” Utility • “Our research has shown that transient vulnerability is a serious issue, as these customers simply do not realise that they are vulnerable.” Business representative

Hampshire

• “They do seem to be doing a lot, but I don’t know anyone directly who has needed these services. It’s good to know what’s being done.” Local councillor • “I think this is a really big social problem, so I do think it is appropriate for customers’ money to go on these things.” Parish councillor • “Seems like they are doing enough from what I’ve heard. It looks very good.” Local councillor • “It sounds like a good package, but I wonder if people are aware of what is on offer.” Environmental group

2) How could you / your organisation work with us to increase priority services registrations?

Isle of Wight

• “Community drop-ins could work well. We do lots of these.” Voluntary group • “Linking with other utilities is important.” Business representative • “Local councils are key to this strategy. When people are in debt, their first arrears are rent and council tax. This would be an alarm bell, because if you miss that, you’re likely not paying other bills too. The council could then get involved.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “As a local authority, we have a strategic partnership in which we bring together representatives from all of the organisations we work with to discuss certain topics. If you had someone from Southern Water come and speak at one of these meetings, you would gain access to every part of a local community.” Local councillor • “We have self-help groups, community partnerships. The groups will supply that route.” Voluntary group • “There’s the parish magazine, but social media is two-way and free.” Parish councillor • “There are lots of county and district councils. I don’t know how easy it is to share that information as GDPR may make that impossible, but there is an opportunity to share data.” Charity

Kent

• “There’s an opportunity here, that when a person turns up on a list that a particular body is creating like the NHS, they could receive a pack of information that directs them to places like the PSR, if they’re eligible.” Environmental group • “I know it’s GDPR, but for me it’s all about a single sign-up for all utilities. It doesn’t help that it has to be singularly.” Voluntary group • “A lot of councils have what we call HERO officers whose job it is to do signposting, making contact with the appropriate people within the district or the borough on an individual basis.” Parish councillor

Hampshire

• “It would be good if you told some of the local councillors. We hold regular surgeries and send out newsletters. We can be a second prong in getting the information out there, and it can get a different response coming from your local councillor, so if you tell me about it, then I can help to get the information out there, because I’m tweeting and Facebooking it.” Local councillor • “Providing us with a list of partner agencies would be a great help.” Local councillor

• “I’m involved with the emergency planning group, so I’m now aware of the gas and utilities planning strategies. However, I have no idea about what Southern Water is doing. It just never has a presence on our radar.” Parish councillor “I think reaching out through parish councils is very important, we have a lot of resources, such as local publications and events.” Parish councillor

3) What do you think are the best ways to promote our work with customers in vulnerable situations?

Which of the following do you think are the most appropriate to promote our work to support customers in vulnerable situations?

Direct referrals 26%

Community events 23%

Events / information 17%

Surgeries 15%

Access to housing tenants 13%

Organised door-knocking 7%

Isle of Wight

• “Local radio could be a useful outlet.” Local councillor • “You can use social media. People can read things on tablets if they’re housebound, for example. There has to be more outreach.” Local councillor • “If you want to use the council for spreading the word about resources for customers, you need to talk to the people in charge of social care. It’s much easier to force things from the top down than try to push it upwards.” Local councillor • “Many parish councils have a website and you can access information via a link or message. Often people don’t realise they are vulnerable. Simple information in different places would be good.” Local councillor

Sussex

• “Rather than you trying to deal with these as separate organisations, why can’t all the utilities companies work together to fund an independent organisation that is trusted and then redistributes the data to people such as yourselves?” Council officer • “I suspect if you’re aware of them, you do everything you can to help vulnerable customers; the problem is identifying them. Have you tried using mapping data?” Local councillor

• “I learnt recently about a successful scheme where, rather than waiting for people to come to them, they chose hotspots and went into the town centre with iPads and signed people up there and then. The sign-up numbers shot up. The language is important: they rebranded it because people didn’t want to be perceived as vulnerable. A lot of people feel quite proud.” Business representative • “A doctor’s surgery would be an ideal place to put information about this.” Parish councillor • “If people are going to food banks, they’re in poverty. There are three in Hove, which is shocking. Have you got a list of those? They could give out your information. It’s a great place to find people.” Environmental group • “Carers and health authorities in general who are advising people in vulnerable situations can inform users of available support.” Voluntary group

Kent

• “It might be a case of creating a poster to put up in places where elderly or vulnerable people are coming, like churches, doctors’ surgeries and local councils, so they can sign themselves up.” Environmental group • “Maybe you need to let customers with low income know. In the next bill, there should be a flyer asking if the customer knows of anyone who is in this vulnerable group, including themselves. The leaflet should say proactively what the water company will do to help.” Parish councillor • “I think your approach should be information, data, intelligence led, on a wider scale. If you know a certain area that has a concentration of vulnerable customers, you can then target them on a more local level.” Utility • “At the county level, I’m thinking of the disabled parking badges. It should be possible to send information along with them. Another one is the bus passes, so you’re getting to that older age group. It does narrow the target audience.” Local councillor

Hampshire

• “What about putting information about the register on the actual water bill that goes to every household?” Local councillor • “You need to simplify the metrics with home visits and target them better towards the right people.” Environmental group • “Local free newspapers are read by elderly people.” Local councillor • “The people you should be talking to probably wouldn’t answer the door anyway. I think it’s a mixture of things, a bit of Facebook, a bit of community events, parish councils, and carnivals. Definitely not door knocking.” Local councillor • “Hold community events. People really learn when they are actively engaged.” Local councillor

4) How can we work better together to deliver these services? What different or additional organisations should we engage with? Isle of Wight

• “Libraries and the WI could be of interest.” Local councillor • “I think that schools are an important network to feed into the wider community. Similarly, the faith networks: the church in my community is the foodbank, it’s the tea club, it’s everything for smaller rural communities.” Local councillor • “Through Community Action Isle of Wight, you can access a wide variety of community groups and all of their networks.” Local councillor • “Perhaps it should be talking to local churches. They know who is in trouble.” Parish councillor • “I agree that in only collaborating with big charities and nationwide organisations, you’ll miss people that fall through the cracks, so you need to be working directly with smaller parish councils who are talking directly to people.” Parish councillor

Sussex

• “Charities can play a part. With my grandparents, Age UK were enormously helpful, for example.” Environmental group • “In rural areas, the council clerks are the best people to work with.” Parish councillor • “You could link your work with the flood zone vulnerability register.” Environmental group • “We used to have a data sharing agreement with the fire and rescue services when I worked with housing service providers in Manchester. When we knew people were more vulnerable in the communities, because of the agreement we had, we could share the data with them.” Council officer • “I think you should work with Citizens Advice.” Parish councillor

Kent

• “If you’re talking about financial difficulties, another approach would be to make sure you have representatives at food banks.” Parish councillor • “You’re missing a trick not going into parish councils.” Council officer • “Our mayor sends out a publication. I can get something put in that.” Parish councillor • “We have a huge voluntary sector in Kent; we meet every three months with them. They’re a key sector to get involved with.” Voluntary group • “We once used the Salvation Army to hand water out rather than the water company.” Voluntary group • “Often, local vicars are a good recourse.” Parish councillor • “Anyone receiving dialysis will be registered on the NHS. Can you work with the NHS to get that information?” Environmental group

• “Housing associations are a great resource for identifying people struggling.” Parish councillor • Use councillors, Help the Aged, lunch clubs, and other community leaders as conduits to reach more of your target audience.” Local councillor

Hampshire

• “I think community Facebook groups could be a great resource, and you’ll gain access to people that don’t read local publications or leaflets.” Local councillor • “One obvious partner is the NHS. For example, when someone leaves hospital and is classed as temporarily vulnerable, there’s an opportunity for the county council and the NHS to ensure a joined-up experience. Given that the NHS structure is so complicated, the obvious way in is through the county via social workers, who can signpost extra support.” Local councillor • “The Fire and Rescue Service do a lot of door-to-door campaigning, people trust them because they are wearing a uniform and obviously it’s in people’s best interests to prevent house fires.” Local councillor • “The only logical centre for that would be GP surgeries. They would hold a large amount of information on vulnerable people.” Parish councillor • “I think water companies could work together in areas like blind clubs and disabled clubs. That’s where the information comes from.” Business representative

WORKSHOP FOUR: BUILDING A SOCIAL CONTRACT

SUMMARY

The presenters explained that people’s expectations of organisations, including water companies, are changing. After talking stakeholders through the water industry’s commitments, they went on to explain the concept of a social contract.

They explained that water companies are working collaboratively with environmental groups and farmers as part of the Catchment First initiative, stating that enhancing the value of natural and social capital is part of the companies’ performance commitments for the next Business Plan period. Stakeholders were then asked what a social contract should include, with the facilitator writing their suggestions on a board under the following four headings: Customer, Community, Environment, and Employees. The names of the presenters for this workshop can be found on page 5.

Stakeholders were generally positive about the idea of water companies having a social contract, especially as this would encourage companies to go beyond what is legally required of them by government and the regulator. Many felt that large companies have a responsibility to deliver wider societal benefits, rather than being centred solely around shareholder profit. At all four workshops, several stakeholders saw the term ‘social contract’ as too transactional or corporate, putting forward alternative options such as ‘common commitment’, ‘consumer contract’ and ‘partnership’.

A number of stakeholders were of the view that a social contract has to be bilateral, in that individual consumers also have a responsibility to hold up their end of the bargain, for example, by reducing their water consumption and by not pouring fats, oils and grease down the sink. Conversely, they felt water companies have a responsibility to better articulate the consequences of these behaviours to customers and learn from campaigns to reduce the use of single-use plastics, such as plastic bags.

Some stakeholders went even further, commenting that a social contract should go beyond water companies and their customers and should include other parties such as local authorities, landowners, NGOs, and the supply chain. The point was made that a social contract should involve a commitment from all parties to follow ethical practices, which required working closely with third parties. For example, working with landowners and farmers to prevent nitrates from entering the water cycle.

Stakeholders were quite split in terms of which of the four areas a social contract should focus on. Over a third (34%) were of the view that the environment should be the primary area of focus. This was followed by the ‘customer’ heading, which received 20% of the vote, followed by community and employees, each with 17%. Transparency, particularly with regard to financial affairs, was commonly suggested as an additional aspect to be included in the social contract.

The most popular area to be included in a social contract related to the environment. It was felt that water companies should strive to become guardians of the environment, which should involve pushing for more stringent environmental standards and being more transparent when their actions have adversely affected the environment. Some felt that water companies should have a responsibility to enhance rather than just protect the environment under a social contract.

Under the ‘employees’ heading, stakeholders were of the view that a social contract should include a commitment by water companies to treat their employees fairly. A commitment on staff well-being was widely suggested, and it was added that this could be measured by metrics such as low staff turnover. Other suggestions included a commitment to promote diversity in the workforce and grow apprenticeship opportunities. It was added that if Southern Water staff are treated well, they are more likely to act as advocates for the company and champion initiatives such as Target 100, which would have a wider societal benefit. Stakeholders suggested water companies should encourage employees to commit a certain amount of their time during working hours to volunteering on community initiatives.

Many of the suggestions under the ‘customer’ heading related to the need to change behaviour. Target 100 was given as an example of a social contract in action. However, it was added that initiatives such as this are entirely dependent on water companies becoming better at promoting the value of water to their customers. It was also felt that community engagement should form a part of a social contract. Home visits to promote water efficiency and non-flushables campaigns were widely endorsed and it was suggested that water companies should become more active in their communities to promote wider environmental initiatives not directly connected to water.

1) What would you expect a ‘social contract’ to include, and how can we measure its impact?

The pie chart below shows the split of stakeholders’ recommendations for what should be included in Southern Water’s social contract, based on the four areas suggested. The split has been derived from stakeholders’ verbatim comments during the discussion as well as feedback form data, where stakeholders were asked to give their top three suggestions for inclusion in a social contract.

Stakeholders' recommendations for Southern Water's social contract, categorised by topic area Other 12% Environment Community 34% 17%

Employees Customer 17% 20%

ENVIRONMENT

The environmental heading of the social contract exercise accounted for 34% of stakeholders’ comments both in the discussions and in the feedback submitted in writing. A selection of these comments is shown below. Where certain comments were suggested more than once, these have been amalgamated.

Work with media and Propose better Push for behavioural regulation of companies change, especially on influencers to inspire water's ‘plastic bag for environmental flushables and water

moment’ measures wastage

Include supply chain Consider a catchment Work with organic farmers and sustainable in Southern Water’s approach to water environmental course management growers to lower

pesti/herbicide use standards

Southern Water as Share examples of ‘guardians of the Publishing customers being water environment’ information, ensuring creative with accountability wastewater & best practice

Push for higher and Make a sincere more stringent Work with councils to

sustainability commitment to carbon ensure that municipal reduction, including standards at a parks are drought- supply chain national level tolerant contractors

Detail where spending is Publicise the knock-on

being directed to, so Use climate change as a benefits environmental

the public know work is ‘vehicle’ to encourage improvements have on being done on collaboration spending and costs environmental issues

Quantify biodiversity at

Pioneer the responsible Plant gardens to your protected sites disposal of products promote drought with a view to improving number of toleration unique species

CUSTOMER

The ‘customer’ heading accounted for 20% of stakeholders’ comments during this exercise. A selection of these comments is shown below. Similar comments and those mentioned more than once have been combined.

Work to increase Promote a holistic customer knowledge view of Southern of the fundamental Water's role Push back against the value of water perception of water companies having a singular objective

Review transparency Consider incentives for & clarity in public customers, not just

communications Further education on fines non-flushables, collaborate with industry manufacturers

Deliver in-person Collaborate on a assistance for better model of customers to install water recycling within Incentives for water-saving devices the house-building individuals to take at home industry personal responsibility for their water use

Emphasise the Follow up after personal responsibility

emergencies, and of customers to request feedback on Consider mandatory reduce their usage performance water metering, and push for it at a government level

Trial rainwater Commit industrial collection schemes on customers to Clearer information to engaged customers ‘pledges’ to save customers on how water their water saving makes a difference

Involve customers in Improve transparency social enterprise in how stakeholders schemes influence decision Have a tariff that making incentivises people who achieve Target

100

COMMUNITY

The community aspect of the social contract exercise accounted for 17% of stakeholders’ feedback. A selection of the comments made in the discussions and noted on the feedback forms is shown below.

Provide resources Develop methods of for local-level community-level education, including Encourage Southern information sharing neighbour-to- Water staff to have a neighbour contact greater presence in the local community

Framework for School-level engaging with engagement, local communities including national Work at and that goes beyond curriculum resources fundraise for water charitable initiatives

Consider allocating a Partnership working percentage of Working with - Wildlife & Rivers profits to housing developers Trusts and supply infrastructure to improve chain spending standards and regulations

Develop a framework Ensure a resilient for community supply of quality engagement that water Support water- you and your based leisure contractors can adopt

Tailor campaigns to ‘hit home’ by Help those wishing to Work on sustainable drawing on local push higher developer farming schemes examples and relevant standards in their with local issues in those areas community by communities publishing advice documents

Work directly with Have a visible and Signpost the ‘social parish councils to approachable presence value’ of new produce local at local events schemes and projects information booklets being undertaken and advice

EMPLOYEES

The ‘employees’ heading accounted for 17% of stakeholders’ comments. Where comments have been repeated, these have been amalgamated.

Promote and appoint Ensure staff well- employee ambassadors being, aiming for to work in the local low turnover figures community, leading Volunteer at local as a deliverable by example community events

Have your CEO Consider a shared Consider diversity and as the 'human ownership model face' of the how work impacts people differently business

Accountability, Encourage Ethical pension honesty in contractor buy-in investment communications for standards, including in the environment

Highlight good work Promote apprenticeship and best practice Celebrate among employees programmes successes internally

Provide employee Provide opportunities for incentives to deliver Align all learning and improvements employees with development to all an overarching employees and vision publicise this

Develop Promote a holistic Consider a living opportunities for view of employees’ wage employees to share work and their

best practice in a place in the water ‘quality circle’ cycle

Below is a selection of verbatim quotes made by stakeholders during the round-table discussion.

ENVIRONMENT

• “The challenge for Southern Water is to become recognised as the guardians of the water environment, whether someone comes to the beach to go for a swim or eats fish from a river.” Voluntary group • “Transparency with regard to the environment is key.” Environmental group • “Carbon reduction is a priority.” Voluntary group • “The water company will have to pay to take out nitrates, for example, which increases costs to them and then to the customer. The social contract should be about closing the loop. Think holistically.” Environmental group • “When they did consultations, one of the key demands from stakeholders and customers was that they don’t want you to just protect the environment. They want you to enhance it. That goes beyond regulation, so how do you drive that without any incentive to do it?” Voluntary group • “It should be called your ‘social and environmental contract’.” Environmental group • “Companies should be doing everything they can to protect the environment, rather than for their shareholders. We could all be shareholders, but we do need to be sure that they are not the first priority.” Parish councillor • “Why shouldn’t avoiding pollutants getting into the water supply be a direct concern?” Local councillor • “You could say to your staff they can have two days a year to volunteer in some way.” Business representative

CUSTOMER

• “I think obviously Target 100 is a good example of a social contract in action. The contract must go two ways: it can’t be imposed and people must buy into it. Another example is not putting inappropriate things down drains like fat or wet wipes, which causes many problems, which, with a bit of communication and support, could benefit everyone.” Business representative • “Is it about making the links more obvious to everyone that this is all our water, this is where it ends up, and getting people to understand the bigger picture?” Environmental group • “I think that most people do not see beyond the flush. They believe it’s no longer their responsibility and we’ve got to get to a point where people understand that it is their responsibility. Your social contract should be about how it starts with us as people. We have to get people to understand that what they do has a dramatic effect on cost and an environmental impact.” Local councillor

• “On the customer side, valuing the product is important in the case of water. If you’re encouraging reduced consumption, there needs to be an understanding of the whole water cycle.” Charity • “It seems to me also that one of the things you can do to help people use greywater and rainwater in their house is to offer grants to help them pay for expensive modifications to put the rainwater directly into the toilets.” Local councillor

COMMUNITY

• “Employees doing work in the community is a good one. You could also adopt a local charity and get involved with them.” Community group • “A percentage of profits being invested in new infrastructure in communities would be a good thing to include.” Parish councillor • “I think community engagement should be included.” Parish councillor • “It’s not fair when one person is trying their hardest to reduce water usage and their neighbour has their sprinklers on every day. This should absolutely be part of the social contract. This should go under ‘community’.” Environmental group • “I think we need to develop a contract with the planet we live on and the water we have. That’s the bigger picture. We have to find a way as a country and community to move forward sustainably. It doesn’t matter what your income is or where you live: when there’s no water left, we are all in the same position.” Parish councillor • “Having a presence at community events and maintaining wider awareness is key.” Parish councillor

EMPLOYEES

• “If you have people on the London Living Wage, people will feel good. It’s worth making that a focal point of the social contract. It’s worth promoting.” Environmental group • “You need to recognise employees who do the right thing. You need to make a cultural shift to reward them.” Parish councillor • “Southern Water should increase the amount of apprenticeships for young people to be trained, especially if that can lead to a degree, too.” Local councillor • “Southern Water employees need to have pride in what they’re doing. If their pension schemes are funded ethically and divested from fossil fuels, that would also be good.” Parish councillor • “Make sure you’re a great company to work for. If your employees can go home and say ‘it was great at work today’, they become advocates of your company.” Parish councillor • “You should be looking at how you’re supporting the supply chain as well as just specifically your own employees. Having run a small business, working with companies like Southern Water was impossible because of the hoops I had to jump through.” Local councillor

• “There are company awards for working with your employees to actually demonstrate that you are a good employer. An example would be saying ‘we introduced equal pay to all our staff irrespective of gender’.” Parish councillor

2) Do you have any other comments?

Isle of Wight

• “The water sector has to be part of the holistic perspective on the environment. On the Isle of Wight, we’re particularly sensitive to water issues as we’re surrounded by it and have a unique set of issues in that regard, but to others on the mainland, it’s less present.” Local councillor • “You need to include information campaigns about the environment as well as all the things we’ve discussed today. The PSR, for example.” Parish councillor • “The language is very important. Using the term ‘customer’ makes people think of water as transactional and not a precious finite resource. I think ‘consumer’ is a better term.” Environmental group • “Visitors and people with second homes put an enormous strain on all of our island’s resources, from healthcare to water. If we very clearly showed people that this is a biosphere, visitors might be more careful about how they treat our resources. There’s not enough information on our water problems for tourists.” Local councillor

Sussex

• “Regular meetings with partners are key. If you don’t talk, you don’t get anywhere.” Local councillor • “Accountability is an overarching issue.” Local councillor • “Be transparent about the bad and the good. If it’s all just good stuff, people will be cynical.” Parish councillor • “Making people accountable for their behaviours brings communities together. People socially police themselves. We had this thing with people fly-tipping. We had a huge positive reaction in terms of getting communities to engage. The offender was enforced by us to move their rubbish by using social shame to create change.” Council officer • “I’m really struggling with the social contract idea. It’s not easy to see how it fits with the privatised model that we have. I’m not sure whether the water companies can reframe what they do in terms of being custodians of the environment.” Charity • “Southern Water went above and beyond statutory requirements on bathing water because your customers were so desperate for that, and you had evidence from your customer survey that they were willing to pay. If we explain to customers what the issues are and they ask for more, they have the power to influence the plans.” Environmental group

Kent

• “You’ve got to adopt a social contract for the simple reason that you are a monopoly. Even more so than the other utility companies because you can’t change supplier; with electricity, people have the illusion of choice.” Environmental group • “[A] social contract is very persuasive theoretically. However, it is a strategy and not a piece of communication. It needs to be converted into communication that is easily understood.” Voluntary group • “I suggest the company should aspire to be ambitious, leading to more than what they’ve done in the past.” Environmental group • “Collaboration across your sector should be included.” Voluntary group • “Education of customers, stakeholders and everybody. It shouldn’t just be a vision for the water sector, but they can encourage other sectors to follow.” Local councillor • “We need to put it in terms that people understand. How many baths is 100 litres equivalent to, for example?” Voluntary group

Hampshire

• “I’ve been dealing with Southern Water for 20 years, I have never put a phone down on someone from Southern Water that hadn’t been as helpful as they could’ve been. It’s a credit to the company.” Parish councillor • “You could do with equality training for all of your staff, for example, how you talk about young people and how they talk about all of their customers.” Local councillor • “It’s about who you have the social contract with. Industrial customers should be considered differently in the social contract. It’s not fair to hold households to the same standards as major users with heavy responsibilities.” Local councillor • “The shareholders presumably have some influence over the company, I would like to see shareholders’ commitments addressed in the social contract. What are the shareholders’ commitments to the social contract?” Environmental group • “We need risk assessments of the Solent and the South Downs so we can do contingency planning.” Environmental group • “You should work to lobby government to make it illegal to pour certain things down the drain. You don’t have to enforce it, but it would give councils teeth to raise the issue with constituents.” Local councillor

WORKSHOP FIVE: YOUR PLEDGE

At the end of the workshops stakeholders were encouraged to make a pledge. Most pledges involved things that they could do in their roles relating to the topics that they had discussed throughout the morning.

A number of stakeholders made pledges associated with becoming more water efficient, such as taking shorter showers. Those who worked in local authorities or for large companies also pledged to raise awareness of some of the things they had learned at the workshop with their constituents and colleagues. These included pledges to persuade others to be more conscious of their water consumption, to promote the PSR and to promote awareness of non-flushables. A selection of the pledges given at all four workshops are shown below.

• “I pledge to work with my local councillors to improve issues of concern and look at ways to reduce water usage in my community.” Southern Water • “I’m going to work to improve access to vulnerability initiatives that Southern Water has. I’ll do this through the town council and introduce some information-sharing at town council meetings.” Local councillor • “Through our parish council, I’ll seek to change our strategic plan in terms of climate change.” Parish councillor • “I pledge to inform others about the importance of water.” Community group • “I pledge to use less water and to promote helpful initiatives in the parish.” Parish councillor • “I will support Southern Water’s initiatives in my workplace.” Local councillor • “I will try to reduce my shower time and take an empty water bottle everywhere.” Environmental group • “I pledge to promote development with less water use.” Local councillor • “I pledge to be more thoughtful of what goes down the drain and ensure I abide by the ‘3 Ps’ rule.” Local councillor • “I will spread the word about reducing water consumption in my community.” Parish councillor • “I pledge to keep telling people to stop using baby wipes and flushing them down the toilet.” Local councillor • “I pledge to work with my cabinet member to help my county councillors to understand the value of water.” Council officer • “On a personal level, I pledge to find out how much water is used by each programme on my dishwasher and washing machine.” Parish councillor

APPENDIX I: ATTENDEES

A total of 185 stakeholders attended the workshops, representing 111 organisations. The organisations represented across the four events are shown below:

Adur & Worthing Councils Cuckmere Flood Forum

AECOM Dartford Borough Council

Affinity Water Dover District Council

Amport Parish Council Drinking Water Inspectorate

Arreton Parish Council East Cowes Town Council

Arun & Rother Rivers Trust East Preston Parish Council

Bishopstoke Parish Council East Sussex County Council

Bolney Parish Council Eastleigh Borough Council

Brading Town Council Environment Agency

Braishfield Parish Council Fareham Borough Council

Brighstone Parish Council Federation of Small Businesses

Brighton & Hove City Council Fishbourne Parish Council

Buriton Parish Council Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Bursledon Parish Council FSB

Canterbury City Council Fulking Parish Council

Car Wash Advisory Service Future Water Association

Chichester District Council Galliford Try Partnerships

Chilbolton Flood Advisory Group Gravesham Borough Council

Chilbolton Parish Council Hadlow Down Parish Council

Citizens Advice Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Cobb PR Hampshire County Council

Consumer Council for Water Hamsey Parish Council

Country Land and Business Association Harlow Down Council

CPRE Havant Borough Council

CPRE Hampshire Havenstreet and Ashey Parish Council

CPRE Kent Hellingly Parish Council

Crawley Borough Council Henfield Parish Council

Hildenborough Parish Council Southbourne Neighbourhood Plan Steering

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Group Council Southbourne Parish Council

Isle of Wight Council Southern Regional Flood and Coastal

Kent County Council Committee

Kent Resilience Team Southern Water Customer Challenge Group

Kings Worthy Parish Council Stantec

Kingsnorth Parish Council Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Kingston Parish Council Sussex Wildlife Trust

Langstone Harbour Board Tenterden Town Council

Lenham Parish Council Test Valley Borough Council

Manhood Peninsula Partnership The Footprint Trust

Mid Sussex District Council The Rivers Trust

National Trust The Water Report

Natural England Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council

Natural Enterprise Upper Clatford Parish Council

New Forest District Council Vitacress Ltd

Niton & Whitwell Parish Council Waterwise

Nursling and Rownhams Parish Council Wealden District Council

Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust Wessex Chalk Stream and Rivers Trust

Portsmouth City Council West Sussex County Council

R B & G Horn Whippingham Parish Council

Romsey Extra Parish Council Wichling Parish Meeting

Ryde Town Council Wickhambreaux Parish Council

Selling Parish Council Wild Trout Trust

Sevenoaks District Council Winchester City Council

Sevenoaks Town Council Wootton Bridge Parish Council

Soberton Parish Council Worthing Borough Council

South East Rivers Trust WRc plc

Southampton City Council WWF-UK

APPENDIX II: EVENT FEEDBACK

After the workshops, stakeholders were asked to complete a short feedback form about the events. The feedback was as follows:

1. Overall, did you find this workshop to be:

Neutral 3%

Very interesting 46% Interesting 51%

2. Did you feel that you had the opportunity to make your points and ask questions?

Neutral 5%

Strongly agree 38%

Agree 58%

Comments:

• “Plenty of time to discuss issues around our small table of 10.” • “Yes. Lots of opportunity and interesting discussion.” • “Liked the format of facilitator and note taker. Well done to them.” • “I look forward to continuing discussions after the event.”

3. Did we cover the right topics for you on the day?

Disagree 4% Strongly agree Neutral 15% 14%

Agree 66%

Comments:

• “Maybe we need a similar event for wastewater.” • “More relevant than I thought.” • “Would like to see this engagement continue.” • “Interesting new perspectives.”

4. What did you think of the way the workshop was chaired by your facilitator?

Neutral 2%

Good 43% Very good 54%

Comments:

• “[They were] very professional and high quality.” • “Good balance of discussion but controlled. Well done.” • “Everyone [was] encouraged to participate.” • “Kept the gathering moving forward without suppressing interaction.”

5. Any other comments?

Comments:

• “Congratulations to the CEOs and the entire team. It reinforced my faith in Southern Water.” • “The key to success is to change perceptions about the value of water as a utility.” • “Very useful and informative.” • “I found the whole workshop really interesting and clearly more communication is required for householders to understand their own water usage.” • “I sense a cultural change in Southern Water. […] it feels like things are changing – good news and well done.” • “A useful, thought-provoking day.”

6. Would you like to receive our post-event report and invites to similar events in the future?

No 2%

Yes 98%

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