Water, water everywhere? Delivering resilient water & waste water services (2018-19) Overview Key Highlights The amount of time that consumers were extent to which metering is encouraging In this report we present water and/ left without water reduced by 39.9% in consumers to reduce their water use. or sewerage companies’ (referred to as 2018-19. Although this appears to be a companies) performance in 2018-19 in significant reduction, the starting point It is good to see a reduction in sewer the key service areas that can have a big was much higher due to the widespread flooding, both inside and outside impact on consumers. The report identifies supply interruptions experienced during the home. However, any flooding is poor performing companies, as well as the ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma unacceptable to customers and so good practice that can be shared across in early 2018. Looking back prior to this companies still have more to do in the industry. The data contained within incident, supply interruptions have in this area. We were disappointed to this report has been supplied directly to us fact increased by 21.8% since 2016-17. see the disbanding of the 21st Century by companies, unless otherwise stated. All We, therefore, question what has been Drainage Board and hope that the company specific data is included in the learnt from this incident and emphasise work started on sewer misuse can appendices of this report for reference. the importance for companies to learn continue through different channels. from these experiences. Companies must recognise the need to plan for extremes For water quality in England, the figure in our weather or one-off events, which for public water supply compliance are becoming more common due to with the EU Drinking Water Directive climate change. It is essential they was 99.95%; in Wales this was 99.97%. have plans to, where possible, avoid These are positive figures and have failures, mitigate the effects, and recover remained consistently high since 2004. quickly from such weather conditions. It shows that tap water quality is high and that companies are performing well The amount of water lost through to maintain this level of compliance. leaky pipes reduced last year. CCWater repeatedly called on water companies The Environment Agency’s publication to show more ambition in tackling of the Environmental Performance leakage, which irritates consumers and Assessment reported an increase of dampens their own motivation to save serious pollution incidents by companies water, but some companies are still in England for 2018; highlighting that struggling to hit their targets. Companies only one company is performing at must lead by example by prioritising the level that the environment needs. leakage in order to encourage consumers The performance of most companies to reduce their own water usage. has deteriorated, reversing the trend of gradual improvement since 2011. Daily water usage (the amount consumers Serious pollution incidents in Wales have use) has been going up for four years, remained static since 2013, with Welsh despite efforts to encourage greater water Water’s overall rating improving. Natural efficiency. Ofwat has set out stretching Resources Wales will now also be reporting targets for companies to reduce water on the performance of Hafren Dyfrdwy. usage over the next price review period (2020-25). The onus is on the companies Complaints performance for each of so we expect to see them making the companies are covered in different improvements in this area, particularly reports; these can be found here. in the way they communicate with their consumers about why they need to be water efficient and the potential benefits it will bring. It also remains unclear the 2 3 1. Introduction Our report considers the resilience of both the water and sewerage services, by looking at the performance of companies in the last year. Consumers expect to be able to turn their taps on and water to come out without any problems and for it to go away when they pull the plug. Water companies need to plan to address current performance issues and future risks. Past performance does not necessarily capture how resilient companies will be in the future. Extremes in weather over the last couple of years have highlighted the need for Waste water resilience is all about a reliable companies to improve their resilience. They service, free from sewer flooding and without need to understand their networks better to causing damage to the environment. Water be able to manage incidents more effectively companies need to think about how they and prevent consumers experiencing a can better protect their consumers - from loss of supply. A prolonged period of dry the impact sewer flooding can cause - and weather continues to affect parts of England, the environment from pollution incidents. particularly in the East and South East Consumers expect a reliable supply of regions. All companies - not just the ones in Ofwat’s recent draft determinations included water, regardless of the challenges facing these areas - have had to focus much more £2.3 billion to improve services to tackle the sector. Water supply resilience refers on balancing supply and demand as their population growth and climate change, with to the ability of the water companies to water resources come under extra pressure a further £450 million for companies continue to provide a constant supply of during the summer months and dealing with collaborating on long-term strategic high quality water now and for future incidents when they arise. A loss of supply water resource solutions. generations. It’s also about the companies provides an unwelcome reminder of how Companies have been asked ensuring that supplies are quickly restored to essential our water supply is to our daily lives. to develop action plans for consumers when an interruption does occur. implementing systems-based The sector is fully aware of what needs approaches to resilience. At Our Water Matters Highlights Report1 revealed to be done to increase resilience in the the time of publication, it that fewer customers are confident that longer term. Through their Water Resource is unclear to us whether this their water supply will be available without Management Plans (WRMPs), some companies price review will deliver the step restrictions in the long term; with the biggest have begun to show a more integrated and change in resilience that is needed. decline in confidence being among customers collaborative approach to planning and in seriously water-stressed areas such as resource development. Working together the South East of England. We need to do can help to identify greater opportunities 73% more work to explore what is driving these to share available resources and identify figures. However, the drop in confidence other jointly developed supply solutions was significant from the previous year - 73% that may provide better value and outcomes of customers are confident of customers are confident that their water for consumers and the environment, than that their water supply will supply will be available in the longer term if the companies were working alone. be available in the longer without restriction, compared to 77% in 2017. term without restriction 1. CCWater – Water Matters Highlights Report 4 5 to deal with these events more successfully In 2018-19, the average amount of time that over the year, and Northumbrian attributed the 2. Supply Interruptions in the future. The prolonged period of dry consumers were without a supply of water majority of its interruptions to the dry weather weather over the summer of 2018 meant that decreased from 22 minutes in 2017-18 to 13 over the summer. These increases are not the companies’ resilience was again tested, and minutes 14 seconds; a reduction of 39.9%3. acceptable, and companies should not be using When a consumer is left without a water supply required them to put these plans into action. However, we must be clear that the starting the weather as an excuse. We expect to see it can cause them enormous inconvenience, point set by the previous year was abnormally these companies reviewing their plans for future particularly if there has been no prior Being left without water for a period of time can high due to the impact of the ‘Beast from the resilience to prevent further increases from notice of the disruption. It can make day- have a significant negative impact on customers’ East’ and Storm Emma in early March 2018. occurring and revisiting incident management to-day tasks extremely difficult, and can perceptions of their water company, particularly Comparing the latest annual figures to those plans to bring these numbers significantly down. increase the feelings of isolation felt by if they have been provided with limited help and of 2016-17 shows that there has been almost a consumers in vulnerable circumstances. information. Research carried out by CCWater 21.8% increase. With eight companies missing The ‘Beast from the East’ incident brought to showed that where customers were affected their targets for supply interruptions – Bristol life how bad interruptions to supply can be Over the last year, water companies have by the ‘Beast from the East’, communication Water, Dŵr Cymru, Northumbrian Water, Essex for consumers, and we question whether all undertaken work on resilience and incident by the companies to their customers was poor & Suffolk Water, SES, Severn Trent, South East companies have learnt from this. We consider management planning, following the supply and often overly reliant on social media.2 Water and Thames Water – plans need to be put that Ofwat must hold these companies to interruptions caused by the extreme cold in place to prevent this from happening again. account if the action plans are not delivering.