Securing a resilient future for water in the South East Our Water Resources Management Plan for 2020–70 Published December 2019 Page 2 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 3
Contents Introduction
Welcome to our Water Resources Management Plan, which sets out how we intend to supply healthy, reliable drinking water to more than one million homes and businesses for the next 50 years. 3 Introduction Our supply area covers Kent, Sussex, Hampshire Our area of the South East is in serious water and the Isle of Wight in the South East. stress, so it’s vital we’re innovative and plan 4 Our plans at a glance this way to secure resilient supplies to meet We publish a new plan every five years so we’re everyone’s needs – people, wildlife, business, continually updating it to reflect changes in your industry and farmers. views, the need to protect the environment and 6 Where your water comes from today the latest information on climate change and Planning for droughts housing growth figures. This Water Resources Management Plan works hand-in-hand with our Drought Plan. 8 How you’ve influenced this plan This plan is created by working out how much water we need to supply everyone in the future, We allow for the introduction of temporary including in a severe drought, while leaving restrictions on water use (hosepipe bans) in 9 How we’ll supply your water enough water in rivers and the environment to droughts, further restrictions in severe droughts keep them healthy. and permits and orders to allow us to continue taking water from sources when it’s dry. We plan to secure the extra water you need in 12 Water strategy for 2020–25 two ways: Without these measures, we’d need to spend billions more on water sources, which may only Making best use of existing water – by reducing get used once every few hundred years. 14 Water strategy for 2025–30 leaks, promoting water efficiency, installing more meters and improving the health of the Our Drought Plan sets out how and when we’d catchments our water comes from. introduce these measures: 16 How we’ll adapt to change southernwater.co.uk/our-drought-plan. Securing new water – through schemes like desalination (seawater), water recycling (treated wastewater) and transferring water from areas 18 The next 40 years after 2030 where there is spare.
Because things may change a lot over the next 50 19 Changing the way we plan years, we’ve planned for lots of different futures – ones where we need more water and ones where we need less. This makes sure our plans are flexible so we can adapt to whatever is ahead. Page 4 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 5
Our plans at a glance Our plans are flexible – preparing us for the best case scenario and the worst. Our current plan includes:
£450 million - the pot we're tapping into to Temporary explore large-scale new water 32 catchment 2 desalination 3 water recycling hosepipe bans sources for the South East schemes and other water schemes projects restrictions to improve water quality to treat seawater to recycle cleaned wastewater and river flows are part of our planning £1,820 300 Target 100 campaign million million litres Our Target 100 campaign will bring 190 million litres - the amount we're - the amount of water we'll need personal water use down from 130 to to find each day to leave more - the daily amount we need planning to 100 litres per person per day by 2040. invest by 2070 water in the environment to find over the next 10 to support wildlife years in Hampshire - where we need the most new resources We’re planning to reduce leakage 3.5 million 10% 0.2% each year people to supply by 2070 by half by 2050 - the very low likelihood predicted rise in of extreme water business and industry restrictions that we water use by 2070 are planning for 11% more water supplies needed New by 2070 - 595 million litres of water each day reservoir we're supporting the first new reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s - Havant Thicket in Hampshire
56 million litres - the amount of extra water we may need to find each day due to climate change Page 6 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 7
Central area Western ater resource ones entral ater resource ones astern ater resource ones Where your water comes from today ort usse Brighton, Worthing and surrounding areas ngsclere am s re 35% groundwater, 51% river, Me a ast ent 100% groundwater take all their water from groundwater, while 100% groundwater 8% reservoir, 6% transfers North Sussex has a mix of water from rivers, n o er am s re Wort ng usse Me a West ent groundwater, a reservoir and a water supply100% groundwater 98% groundwater, 56% river and reservoir 44% groundwater We supply water to more than Most of the region is officially classed as from Portsmouth Water. Metered Unmetered 2% transfers anet ent one million homes and businesses seriously ‘water-stressed’, which means that at Rural am s rewater use water use r g ton usse times the demand for water can be higher than 100% groundwaterper person per person 77% groundwater, 100% groundwater 2% river, 21% transfers in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the amount available. However, each county also per day: per day: the Isle of Wight. W nc ester am s re ast ngs usse has different water sources and experiences 100% groundwater127 litres 179 litres 5% groundwater, 79% reservoir, different weather. It's not unusual for one area 16% transfers to be in drought while supplies are normal in out am ton ast am s re a neighbouring area. This is also because the 52% river, 48% groundwater area we supply is divided into 14 separate 'water Isle of Sheppey resource zones'. out am ton West am s re 100% river This map shows where we supply water and the Chatham Ramsgate sle o W g t average amount of water used. 47% groundwater, 23% river, 30% transfers Kingsclere Deal Wessex Water Andover Sutton and South East East Surrey Thames Water Dover Water Water South East KENT A nity Water Water Winchester Crawley Bewl Water Otterbourne Weir Wood EAST WEST SUSSEX SUSSEX Key: HAMPSHIRE Darwell Reser o r Powdermill
Southampton Portsmouth Hastings ar ng su l es et een ater com an es Water Mo ng ater n our su l ones Bournemouth Water Chichester Brighton Eastbourne Portsmouth Worthing Cowes Bognor Regis Ryde
ISLE OF Western ater resource ones entral ater resource ones astern ater resource ones WIGHT ort usse ngsclere am s re Me a ast ent ngsclere am s re 35% groundwater, 51% river, Me a ast ent 100% groundwater 100% groundwater 100% groundwater 8% reservoir, 6% transfers n o er am s re Wort ng usse Me a West ent 56% river and reservoir 100% groundwater 98% groundwater, 56% river and reservoir 2% transfers 44% groundwater anet ent Western area Rural am s re Western r g ton aterEastern resource usse ones area entral ater resource ones astern ater resource ones 100% groundwater 77% groundwater, North Hampshire takes all of its water 100% groundwater ort 2% river, usse 21% transfers ngsclere In Kent, am s re Medway East, Medway West 35% groundwater, 51% river, Me a ast ent from groundwater. South Hampshire ast ngs usse 100% groundwater W nc ester am s re 100% groundwaterand Thanet take most of their water from 8% reservoir, 6% transfers takes one-third from groundwater and 100% groundwater 5% groundwater, 79% reservoir, groundwater and the rest from the River Wort ng usse Me a West ent two-thirds from the River Test and the n o er am s re 16% transfers out am ton ast am s re 100% groundwaterMedway, some of which is stored in Bewl 98% groundwater, 56% river and reservoir River Itchen. The Isle of Wight takes its Metered water Unmetered 52% river, Water reservoir and later released into the 2% transfersMetered Unmetered 44% groundwater water from the River Yar, the River Medina 48% groundwater anet ent use per person water use per Rural am s reRiver Medway. Hastings in Sussex takes r g ton water usse use water use and groundwater, but also relies on water per day: person per day: 100% groundwatermost of its water from Darwell reservoir per person per person 77% groundwater, out am ton West am s re 100% groundwater 2% river, 21% transfers pumped across from south Hampshire for Hampshire Hampshire 100% river and Powdermill reservoir, with the rest per day: per day: a third of its drinking water. W nc ester am s re ast ngs usse – 124 litres – 147 litres sle o W g t 100% groundwaterfrom groundwater. Water is transferred by 123 litres 169 litres 5% groundwater, 79% reservoir, Isle of Wight Isle of Wight 47% groundwater, pipeline from Medway to Thanet, and from 16% transfers – 122 litres –215 litres 23% river, 30% transfers out am tonMedway ast to Hastings. am s re 52% river, 48% groundwater out am ton West am s re 100% river sle o W g t 47% groundwater, 23% river, 30% transfers Page 8 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 9
How you’ve influenced this plan How we’ll supply your water
We spoke to thousands of our customers, interested groups and water industry Our plans make sure you can rely on healthy, affordable water supplies for regulators to hear your feedback and help shape our plans. the next 50 years. They take account of how much more water we’ll Water recycling – returning cleaned wastewater This started back in 2015 and included: need to cope with the effects of climate change, to rivers and reservoirs to make better use of the • Surveys on your preferences for how we secure water changing weather and to supply a population water we already have. We recycle about 17% which is set to grow to 3.5 million in our area of our wastewater at the moment – so there’s • Workshops to discuss our plans and hear your views by 2070. opportunity to do more.
• Surveys to understand what you’re willing to pay for in your bills It also takes accounts of water we need to leave in Aquifer storage and recovery – creating an • A three-month public consultation in 2018 where we shared our ideas the environment to protect the health of our rivers. underground reservoir to store water pumped from the river during winter, when flows are high, • Regular meetings with regulators including Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Natural England We’ve set out the schemes we’ll progress to to use in the summer when it’s needed most. • Discussions with our Customer Advisory Panel –a panel which makes sure we’re engaging with our supply you with water in detail on the maps on the customers and acting on what they say. following pages. These fall into two types: Water grid – we’re installing more pipes to extend our water grid so it’s easier to move water to Making best use of water where it’s needed most and share it between We made sure we heard from young people, Reducing leaks - we’ve committed to reduce leaks neighbouring water companies. students, older people, young families and people from pipes by 15% by 2025 and by 50% by 2050 – struggling to pay their bills, as well as a wide range You told us reducing leaks is really important this is a priority for you. Import water – we’re a member of Water of environmental and economic groups. to you – so we increased our target to reduce Resources in the South East group, along with them by 15% by 2025 and 50% by 2050. Target 100 - we’ve committed to reduce personal five other water companies, and together we’ve What you told us helped shape our plan – water use to an average of 100 litres per person created a plan that works best for the whole including the type of schemes, how often we plan per day by 2040 – through smart meters, home region. As part of this we’re planning to import for water restrictions and how much we’ll spend. audits, contacting customers with high water use water from Portsmouth Water and South West and ‘rewards’ for households and customers who Water into Hampshire and from South East Water save water. into Kent, wrse.org.uk. Leakage improvements Willingness to Would not wish to Catchment First – we’re improving the are highest priority pay research accept reductions We’ve chosen these schemes because we in service for lower bills environment to protect water quality and improve think they’ll work best to supply your water river flows to make sure we are looking after the at an affordable price that also protects the sources we already have. environment. However, because this is a 50-year plan, things may change. Managing Gaining Securing new water future demand new Desalination – turning seawater into drinking We’ve studied a range of different futures and water. Desalination plants are expensive to build and climate water What you said is most planned for all of them – some require more change and operate but they are a reliable source of water water and others less – but by planning in this Not important to you. whatever the weather. damaging innovative way we’re ready for whatever the the future brings. Drought environment and flood resilience
Customer preferences Priorities and priorities
Scheme preference rank 1. Underground storage Willing to pay more for 2. Catchment management solutions that are 3. Helping people to use water more wisely resilient and 4. Reducing leaks environmentally friendly 5. Water saving devices and gadgets 6. Reservoirs 7. Water recycling 8. Trading water 9. Reward and penalty tari s 10. Seawater (desalination) Page 10 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 11
The timescale The challenge in Hampshire What you can expect from us The water supply options planned in between Securing new water supplies for Hampshire in the Taking all this into consideration, the plan we've developed means we can make the 2020–25 are included in our investment plan for next 10 years is one of our biggest challenges. the next five years (Business Plan 2020–25) and commitments shown in the table below to you. are very likely to happen. In order to protect the unique chalk rivers in Hampshire, the River Test and River Itchen, we At the same time, we’ve agreed funding to agreed changes to the amount of water we can explore and progress the larger schemes which abstract from them. Likelihood of use are due between 2025–30, such as desalination and water transfers. This means in droughts we only have access to Drought actions Sussex and Kent Hampshire and the Isle of Wight about one fifth of the supplies we need, so we’ve Our plans after this are likely to change, as we developed a multi-million pound plan to secure Temporary Use Bans Water restrictions – once in 10 years on Water restrictions – once every two or update this water resources plan every five years. alternative resources, including: average. three years on average.* Drought order to Wider water restrictions and for businesses Wider water restrictions and for business – Water resources for England and Wales • Reducing leaks, installing meters and restrict water use – once in 20 years on average. once or twice every 10 years on average.* During the next five years we’ll be exploring promoting water efficiency (non-essential-use bans) some large water resource options with other water companies across the country, which • Building a desalination plant on the Solent Standpipes and Emergency drought order for rota cuts Emergency drought order for rota cuts could benefit the South East with the support of a • Importing water from South West Water rota cuts (supplies and standpipes – unlikely to happen in our and standpipes – unlikely to happen in our £450 million funding pot authorised by the water limited to a few hours lifetime (once in 500 years) if drought permits lifetime (once in every 500 years) if drought industry regulators to make sure there’s enough • Importing water from Portsmouth Water (from a day). and orders are introduced first. permits and orders are introduced first. water for the future. the creation of a new reservoir and other sources) Drought permits and Applying for permission to take more water Appling for permission to take more water We are involved in five schemes in this process: orders to increase from rivers and aquifers – once in 20 years from rivers and underground aquifers – once Environmental improvement projects to supplies on average. every two or three years on average.* • A desalination plant on the Solent in • improve water quality and river flow. Hampshire * Until 2027, then the commitments will return to the same as in Sussex and Kent. These are our preferred options, but we’re also • Water recycling schemes in Hampshire exploring others to make sure we secure reliable • A transfer between Thames Water and our supplies as soon as possible, such as water network in Hampshire recycling. • New sources of supply in the South West In the meantime, until at least 2027, we’ve agreed with the Environment Agency that we may need • A transfer between the South West and our to introduce water restrictions more often to make network in Hampshire. sure we can maintain vital drinking water supplies during droughts. By 2025, we will know how much water these schemes could supply, how much they will cost to Because we also need to top up supplies to the build and operate, their carbon footprint, if they Isle of Wight from Hampshire, through pipes will receive planning permission and which ones under the Solent, the same restrictions could should go ahead. apply there in the short term. Page 12 Water Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Plan Page 13
Water strategy for 2020–25 This map shows how we'll find the extra water we need to provide reliable water supplies for you and local businesses in the next five years. 15 16 sle o e e 17 18 16 at am Ramsgate