Wessex Water’s magazine Winter ’20 The learning never stops Our education advisers explain what we have to offer – pages 26 to 27 Winter tips for your home How to protect your home and garden – pages 6 to 7 The hard facts of water What causes limescale – pages 12 to 13 In your area What’s been happening in your community – pages 14 to 21 Welcome njoying countryside walks and exploring between homeowners and Wessex Water. That’s What's going on In nature is a popular pastime for many and why we’ve included a sewer ownership article in lots of us have taken to this during the this edition to help explain things. E coronavirus pandemic to see what our local areas have to offer. There’s no doubt that it’s a challenging time for many people and we realise that some may find it This autumn, walks through woodlands are set to incredibly hard to afford their water bill. If you, or your community? be even more vibrant, with the National Trust someone you know is struggling, it’s worth Marilyn Smith, Group suggesting good sunny spells in the spring and finding out more about the help we can provide – Director of Communication summer followed by bursts of rain in September there are details on pages 8 to 9 and on the & Community will result in leaves of wonderful colours. back cover. Keep up to date with our FREE email newsletter As the seasons change, it’s that time of year when With many community projects also struggling to we need to prepare our homes so we’re not raise funds they desperately need, we’re caught out during the wintry months. We have continuing to provide financial support through We want to hear from you... some great tips on what to do on pages 6 to 7. the Wessex Water Foundation. The recovery fund Explore local days out Write to us at Wessex Water supports local organisations responding to the When it comes to wet weather, there’s sometimes Magazine, Public Relations, needs of people in their community and building Wessex Water, Claverton Down, confusion among customers who experience resilience for the future. localised flooding caused by blockages. You can Bath BA2 7WW or email us at Get support for a project see why because responsibilities are split I hope you enjoy the issue. [email protected] Get top tips for your home and garden 26-27 Editor: Marilyn Smith What’s inside [email protected] Design: Sally Amouroux, this issue Paul Gunning and Sam Weeks wessexwater.co.uk/sign-up Editorial: Ian Drury, Lauren East, George Keast, Emily Larque, Pete Orchard, 4 In the news – a look at the 10-11 12-13 Jan Rance, Kirsty Scarlett and stories that have made the Tom Thomson headlines Published by Wessex Water Contact us 24 Think oil tank – useful oil tank tips 5 Understanding our rivers – The Wessex Water Magazine Billing enquiries Water supply or sewerage enquiries safeguarding our natural world 25 Preparing for winter – how we are • Payment arrangements • Metering • Moving house • Loss of supply • Leak • Water quality problem Claverton Down getting ready for the winter months Bath BA2 7WW • Problems paying • High water use • Priority Services • Sewage flooding • Blocked sewer 6-7 Winter tips for your home – How to protect your home and garden 26-27 The learning never stops – our Print managed by TaskerStone 0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; 0345 600 4 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, education advisers explain what and distributed by Royal Mail Saturday, 8am to 2pm) emergencies only at other times) 8-9 Affordable bills for all – helping you they have been up to Disclaimer: While every reasonable through challenging times care is taken with all material Submit an online enquiry via our website Submit an online enquiry via our website 28 Have yourself an eco-friendly submitted to The Wessex Water 10-11 Whose pipework is it? – advice on Magazine, the publisher cannot wessexwater.co.uk/contactus wessexwater.co.uk/contactus Christmas – ideas for some gifts pipework responsibility accept responsibility for loss or with a difference damage to such material. The Write to: Wessex Water, 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Write to: Operational enquiries, Wessex Water, 12-13 The hard facts of water – what opinions expressed or advice given 29 Supporting stronger communities Bristol BS48 1WA Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7WW causes limescale? in this publication are the views of – Wessex Water recovery fund the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or We welcome calls via the Next Generation Text service. Calls to 0345 numbers usually cost the same as standard UK 14-21 In your area – community round up 30 Investing in the future – giving policies of Wessex Water. landline numbers. Please check with your telephone service provider. We may record telephone calls into our contact 22 Get Water Fit – how much water do your career a kickstart This publication is copyright and may centres for quality, security and training purposes. you use? not be reproduced in any form either 31 Create a wildlife-friendly garden in part or whole without written Wessex Water supplies water and sewerage services to an area of the south west of England, covering 10,000 square kilometres including Dorset, 23 All about your bill – find out why this winter – top tips to help wildlife permission from the publishers. Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire. Within our region Bristol Water supplies water to the city of Bristol metered bills might increase in your garden and surrounding areas including some parts of Somerset. Bournemouth Water supplies water to Bournemouth and to just south of Salisbury. Tell us what you think of our service To contact us or find out more about and share your experience with others. Wessex Water see our contact details on the page opposite or visit: Search Wessex Water on trustpilot.com wessexwater.co.uk in the news Pete Orchard provides a round-up of how we’ve Understanding our rivers made the headlines Praise from customer Volunteers dig deep for Awards recognise Helping to bring back the watchdog Dorset pre-school environmental beloved beaver commitment We have again been singled Panda Pre-school in A five-year beaver trial on out as a top performer in the Blandford, Dorset, created a Our environment and planning the River Otter has been annual Consumer Council for new woodland learning area services colleagues were completed with support from Water (CCW) complaints for children with help from named ‘best team from a large a number of organisations, report. two of our Water Force organisation’ at this year’s including us. volunteers. IEMA Sustainability The number of written Impact Awards. complaints received from General foreman Gordon customers in 2019/20 fell by Langford and repair and These reward people and 23% while there was a maintenance team leader businesses who are massive 40% reduction in David Lane visited the pre- tackling environmental mbracing the natural world has never felt more ‘stage 2’ complaints, where school with an excavator on a issues in sustainable and important than in this difficult year, and we all have Saturday to help dig holes for innovative ways, such as a responsibility to safeguard its future. tree planting, ensuring our in-house newt E children from different social detection dog Freya. Wild river swimming is popular in parts of our backgrounds could learn and Judges highlighted our region, such as the idyllic Warleigh Weir near Bath, and we play outdoors safely without collaborative approach understand that people want to know more about our having to rely on protective with regulators and other The trial, which was led by treatment of sewage at nearby water recycling centres. equipment. organisations as key to our Devon Wildlife Trust, started In September we joined volunteers and collaborators to We believe river bathing water status is success. in 2015 and has resulted in issues with service or bills are two family groups of beavers monitor the water quality of the River Avon, taking achievable but it will require significant Sarah Mukherjee, CEO of the not resolved at the first time being successfully bred samples from 22 sites between Warleigh and Melksham as Institute of Environmental investment, collaboration and changes in of asking. throughout the catchment. well as five tributaries which meet the Avon between Management and Assessment those sites. This year’s report – which also (IEMA), said: “Action to Beavers migrated on to our government legislation. measured complaints made tackle the climate and land, which is connected to There is a campaign to make Warleigh the UK’s first river via social media, web chat, environmental crises we the river, and we’ve worked with designated bathing water status, similar to coastal Matt Wheeldon, our director of assets and compliance and SMS and in person – saw us face requires business and with the trust to make sure it’s sites where we treat waste water with ultraviolet light. a wild swimmer himself, said: “Storm overflows operate rated as one of four standout industry, civil society and our a haven for them – while also This process is costly and can have a massive during heavy rainfall to protect homes and businesses performers alongside politicians to step up and lead ensuring we can continue to environmental impact through carbon dioxide emissions. Bournemouth Water, Bristol Pre-school manager Alison the transformation and provide a safe and secure from flooding and rarely cause a pollution – in fact, there Water and United Utilities. Morris said: “We were so change needed.” water supply.