Drought plan consultation Have your say on our plan to manage droughts

June 2021 At a glance Introduction This plan sets out how we will carry on supplying water during a Droughts are a period of water shortage caused by low rainfall. They can cause harm to the environment and reduce drought. It explains the steps we will take to keep taps flowing how much water we have to supply our customers. and what you can do to play your part.

There are different types of drought, but all We can’t prevent a prolonged period of low result in a period of water shortage caused rainfall from happening but we can, with This plan sets out how we will carry on by a prolonged period of low rainfall. your help, manage the situation and reduce supplying water during a drought. the impact on people and the environment. The nature, timings and impact of droughts can vary. Some will only affect a small area This is particularly important as we are in an while others will be more widespread. They area of serious water stress so we all need can impact on sectors – such as agriculture, to do everything we can to help protect our water companies, the leisure industry and water supplies, whatever the weather. We continually monitor our sources, so we know the environment – quite differently. when a drought is starting. We would like to hear your views before The more serious they become, the more our plan is finalised and published because of an impact they will have on society, the the measures within it will impact on economy and the environment. That is why people, communities, and businesses; as we are required by law to have a plan to well as the local environment. manage them. We use drought triggers to tell us what activity we We ask a number of questions at the end of should carry out and when. this document so please share your feedback.

No two droughts are ever the same and climate change is likely to make them more severe and frequent. That’s why we have tested this plan against lots of This includes taking action to maximise the amount of water different drought scenarios including those we’ve experienced in the past and from our sources and move it around our area. those that might occur in the future.

We will ask customers to use less water and restrict water use for certain activities as the drought becomes more serious.

If needed, we will ask for permission to temporarily take more water from the environment to supplement our supplies.

In an emergency situation we may need to tanker water from elsewhere and ration water supplies.

We want to hear your views on our drought plan. Have your say at seswater.co.uk/publications

1 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 2 When will we use What we will do our drought plan? during a drought We continually monitor rainfall levels and river flows, as well The actions we will take to manage a drought can be split into as the amount of water that is in the water sources we use to two areas - maximising water supplies and reducing demand. supply our customers. Maximising water supplies Reducing demand Each of these sources have a series of trigger levels which tell us when a drought is developing and getting worse. These correspond to the following stages: These actions will help us to make more These actions will help us save water so water available to supply to customers. the supplies that we have can go further. • Normal (no drought) They include: They include: • Impending drought (level 1) Changing how we operate our sources – we Customer awareness campaigns – we will will change how we use our water sources use a range of channels including social Drought (level 2) • so we rely more heavily on those that can be media, newspapers, TV and radio, advertising • Severe drought (level 3a and 3b) recharged by pumping water from other parts and events to reach our customers and ask of the aquifer and preserving supplies in those them to use water more carefully. We will • Emergency drought (level 4) that are reliant on rainfall to refill them. join up where we can with the other water As the drought progresses we will take different actions at companies and water retailers, to work Moving water around our region – we have together to reach customers, businesses and each stage to mitigate its impact and preserve water supplies. constructed new pipelines which means we other water users. can move water around our region more easily. In particular, we can transfer more Leakage management – we will step-up water from reservoir in the our activity to find and fix leaks both on our south of our operating area to the north, network and customers’ pipes, and manage the Where our water comes from helping to preserve supplies in local sources. pressure inside our pipes so less water is lost. Drought permits – we can apply to the Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) – will restrict We supply high quality people in parts of , for permission to some outdoor water use by household drinking water to more than , and abstract water from the River Eden outside customers to help save water. our normal abstraction period to help us 735,000 south London Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB) – will refill Bough Beech reservoir. restrict some water use by non-household Sutton One drought permit would allow us to customers to help save water. continue our winter abstraction throughout Limit household consumption – we will May and the other would allow us to 85% make public appeals to customers to limit Purley abstract from June to August, if river flows Cobham of our water comes their daily consumption to help preserve permit. Togther, they would provide up to from underground supplies and avoid rationing water. sources beneath the 272 million litres per day of extra water. Pressure reductions – we will reduce North Downs which are We can also apply for permission to pressure in a phased way. filled when rainfall soaks abstract additional water under certain through the ground conditions from three groundwater sources Emergency drought order – would allow M25 – Hackbridge, Kenley and . us to bring in emergency measures such as Together, these could provide an additional only supplying water Redhill 9 million litres per day. We would not apply at certain times of the M23 for a drought permit until after Temporary day (‘rota cuts’) or Edenbridge 15% Use Bans have been introduced. If we do, we putting standpipes is abstracted will enhance our environmental monitoring in public places for Horley from the River and take measures to mitigate the impact people to draw Eden and stored on the environment. water from instead in Bough Beech of it being supplied reservoir near to their homes. Edenbridge

3 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 4 Water use restrictions Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB) During a drought we may need customers to restrict their water To introduce a NEUB we are required to apply for a Drought use. Here we explain what would be restricted at each stage. Order to the Secretary of State.

There are exemptions for certain customers and activities. Some of these will be applied automatically by all water companies. Others will be introduced at the discretion of individual companies. A = Automatic exemption What’s not allowed? D = Discretionary exemption • Watering outdoor plants on commercial premises • Using a hosepipe for filling or maintaining a commercial swimming Temporary Use Ban (TUBs) pool or paddling pool

• Using a hosepipe for filling or maintaining a pond What’s not allowed? • Operating a mechanical vehicle washer You can’t use a hosepipe or a sprinkler for: Cleaning the walls or • • Cleaning any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock windows of domestic Watering a garden - which includes • premises Cleaning any part of an exterior building or wall private and public gardens, parks, • Cleaning paths or patios. allotments, grass verges and open • • Cleaning the windows of non-domestic premises green spaces Or use water to: • Cleaning industrial plant • Cleaning a private motor vehicle • Fill or maintain a domestic pond or • Watering plants at domestic premises ornamental fountain • Using water to supress dust Cleaning a private leisure boat • • Fill a domestic swimming pool or • Using an automatic cistern in an unoccupied building. • Any domestic recreational use paddling pool.

What’s exempt? What’s exempt? • Watering the areas of grass with a • Filling a domestic pond during • Water used to protect health and safety (A) hosepipe or sprinkler that are used construction and which contains fish or Blue badge holders (A) for sport or recreation (not the whole other species (A) • ground), to protect health and safety (A) • Filling a pool used for medical • Watering plants that are for sale; or are part of the National Flower collection or on • Approved drip or trickle irrigations treatment, veterinary treatment and temporary display (A) systems that have a pressure reducing animal decontamination (A) • Filling or maintaining pools that are open to the public, used by schools valve and timer (A) • Filling an ornamental fountain that for swimming lessons, used for medical or veterinary treatment and animal • Blue badge holders (A) provides air to a pond containing fish (A) decontamination (A) • Companies that use hosepipes for their • Watering newly laid turf with a hosepipe • Filling pools or ponds which contain fish or other aquatic species (A) cleaning business such as window, car or sprinkler for the first 28 days (D) • Using an approved drip or trickle irrigation system during the evening or night (D) and patio cleaners (A) • Customers with mobility issues on the • Using a hosepipe to clean a private boat company’s vulnerable customers list (D) • Watering newly bought plants for the first 28 days (D) which is the customers’ home; where not • To prevent the spread of invasive species (D) • Businesses whose sole occupation is cleaning windows using a hosepipe (D) cleaning it will increase fuel consumption To operate water features with religious and where it is the required method of • • Businesses that use water to remove graffiti (D) significance (D). cleaning the engine (A) • Using water on biosecurity grounds (D).

We will introduce TUBs in a phased way. In phase one only the use of sprinklers and unattended hosepipes will be banned for watering a garden. In phase two this will extend to the use of a handheld hose for all the activities outlined above.

5 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 6 Our drought plan Drought stage Maximise supplies Reduce demand

Below we set out the actions we will take at each stage as the Severe drought Apply for a drought permit Further increase public drought develops. (level 3a) to abstract water from the awareness and appeal for River Eden during May to restraint refill Bough Beech reservoir Ask retailers, large business Apply for one or more of users, local authorities, fire Drought stage Maximise supplies Reduce demand the groundwater drought authorities, hospitals and permits (timing and order schools to reduce demand will depend on the drought Apply for a drought order situation and time of year) Impending Start to use sources Begin customer awareness to implement NEUB drought (level 1) conjunctively so campaign Apply for a drought permit groundwater can be Communicate non-essential Promote water efficiency to abstract water from preserved and surface water use restrictions to advice, products and virtual the River Eden during the water used where possible affected businesses home audits summer to refill Bough Transfer more water to the Beech. We would not make Support vulnerable Engage with essential north of our area this application until a customers service providers NEUB has been introduced. Begin environmental Further increase activity to Increase work to find and monitoring Carry out enhanced find and fix leaks fix leaks environmental monitoring Postpone or cancel planned Implement pressure Use less water to run our and mitigation measures work at our sites that would reduction in areas where own operations make less water available we can Co-ordinate communications with other water companies and Severe drought Tanker additional supplies Remove all exemptions on regulators (level 3b) – of water TUBs and NEUBs we’ve included Implement further pressure additional reduction where possible Drought (level 2) Bring peak sources into Implement TUBs phase 1 activity, so we supply or increase their and 2 are doing ‘more Consider limiting output before 4’ to help consumption to 50 litres Communicate introduction avoid emergency per person per day Use transfers to move water of TUBs to customers using drought measures around the area to where a range of channels Increase support to it’s needed most vulnerable customers Repair leaks more quickly Continue to use Bough and find and fix more Beech reservoir and customer-side leaks and Emergency Increase use of tankers to Co-ordinated transfer water to the north offer free repairs drought (level 4) provide extra supplies communication with if river flows are sufficient Work with retailers, key Government and relevant Begin drought permit local stakeholders and large agencies about extreme preparations and start water users to prepare for restrictions environmental mitigation more severe drought Introduce phased pressure measures Engage with and support reduction vulnerable customers Introduce standpipes and/ Increase communications or rota-cuts as appropriate activity in collaboration Work with emergency with other water companies planning bodies to ensure and regulators security of supplies

You can read our full drought plan document at www.seswater.co.uk/publications

7 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 8 Levels of service Taking action today We aim to provide our customers with an excellent service, but these We’ve prepared our drought plan, so we are ready in case measures will be needed if a drought occurs. We plan to introduce: a drought develops and becomes more serious. This is our

Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) – once every 10-years on average emergency plan to make sure water supplies are maintained Non-Essential Use Bans (NEUB) – once every 20-years on average and the environment is protected. River Eden drought permit (May extension) – once every 20-years on average But we aren’t waiting until things get really bad to take action. We are working hard today to make sure our water resources are reliable and resilient, so we reduce the chance of Groundwater drought permits – once in every 20-years on average having to take these emergency measures. There are also things you can do now to help River Eden drought permit (summer refill) – less than once in every 20 years protect our precious resource and the environment it comes from. Emergency drought measures – once in every 200-years* on average. * This aligns with our current Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) which plans for emergency We are... You can... drought situations once every 200-years. Our next WRMP will plan for this to happen once every 500-years reducing the chance that emergency measures will be needed.

• Providing free water meters to all our • Find out how much water you use customers to help them save water and how you can make savings by The last Temporary Use Ban was used during the 2012 drought. We carrying out a 20-minute virtual water • Introducing smart meters to provide typically see demand reduce by around 5% when TUBs are introduced. customers with more regular updates on audit of your home at www.seswater. their water use and help them use less co.uk/getwaterfit Install the recommended water saving • Reducing leakage on our network by • using new technology that helps us devices in your home to help you use find leaks more quickly and identify a little less everyday the water mains most likely to leak • Encourage everyone in your home After a drought and replace them and at work to avoid wasting water where they can by turning off taps, • Offering free repairs to customers who have a leak outside or inside their home taking shorter showers and waiting A drought affecting the public water supply will only end when until the dishwasher is full before • Working with our neighbouring water running a load there has been enough rainfall to refill our water sources. That companies to identify where we need new sources of water and pipelines to • Fix dripping taps and leaky loos and can take months. We will continually monitor move it around the region more easily if you’re worried you have a leak contact us quickly and we can help the situation and remove • Carrying out work that will help you fix it the different levels of improve the quality and quantity of the water in our rivers and • Have a meter installed at your home restrictions as soon as we underground sources and make them so you only pay for what you use more resilient to drought events. • Choose a water efficient model can, once our water supplies next time you change your washing reach a healthy level. machine or dishwasher Buy water efficient fixtures and We will always carry out a full • fittings next time you refurbish your review following a drought which bathroom or kitchen will include considering how well restrictions worked, the impact • Install a water butt or two in the on the environment and how garden so you capture rainwater to it affected our customers. We water your plants. will share our findings with our industry colleagues and use them to inform our next drought plan. Remember, every drop counts. If we all save a little, together we can save a lot.

9 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 10 Tell us what you think We would like to know what you think of our plans to manage Find out more droughts. Below are some questions which will help us to understand your views. Visit our website seswater.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @SESWater 1. Do you understand the different 6. Would you be willing to limit your Join our Talk on Water phases of drought and the action we water use to 50 litres per day to will take at each? help avoid water rationing being online customer community introduced? 2. Do you understand what activity is seswater.co.uk/talkonwater not allowed under a Temporary Use 7. Do you think it is ever acceptable to Ban and a Non-Essential Use Ban? introduce water rationing such as standpipes or rota cuts? 3. Do you agree with the automatic exemptions from restrictions on 8. How best can we communicate using water? with customers during a drought? 4. Do you agree with the discretionary exemptions from restrictions on 9. Do you have using water? any other comments 5. Do you agree that we should not about our apply for a drought permit until drought plan? Temporary Use Bans are in place – so we are taking measures to reduce demand before we take more from the environment?

You can answer these questions using our online form www.seswater.co.uk/publications

Alternatively, you can email your response to [email protected] or write to:

Secretary of State (DEFRA) Drought Plan Consultation (SES Water) Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Area 3D Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR

The closing date for responses is 30 July 2021. Thank you very much for participating in our drought plan consultation. We will publish our Statement of Response and update to our plan later in 2021.

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