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 and other water schemes 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 water resource zones Central water resource zones Eastern water resource zones Where your water comes from today North Sussex Brighton, Worthing and surrounding areas Kingsclere, Hampshire 35% groundwater, 51% river, Medway East, Kent 100% groundwater take all their water from groundwater, while 100% groundwater 8% reservoir, 6% transfers North Sussex has a mix of water from rivers, Andover, Hampshire Worthing, Sussex Medway West, Kent 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 Thanet, Kent one million homes and businesses seriously ‘water-stressed’, which means that at Rural Hampshirewater use water use Brighton, Sussex 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. Winchester, Hampshire Hastings, Sussex 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 Southampton East, Hampshire 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'. Southampton West, Hampshire 100% river This map shows where we supply water and the Chatham Ramsgate Isle of Wight 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 Anity Water Water Winchester Crawley Bewl Water Otterbourne Weir Wood EAST WEST SUSSEX SUSSEX Key: HAMPSHIRE Darwell Reservoir Powdermill Southampton Portsmouth Hastings Sharing supplies between water companies Water Moving water in our supply zones Bournemouth Water Chichester Brighton Eastbourne Portsmouth Worthing Cowes Bognor Regis Ryde ISLE OF Western water resource zones Central water resource zones Eastern water resource zones WIGHT North Sussex Kingsclere, Hampshire Medway East, Kent Kingsclere, Hampshire 35% groundwater, 51% river, Medway East, Kent 100% groundwater 100% groundwater 100% groundwater 8% reservoir, 6% transfers Andover, Hampshire Worthing, Sussex Medway West, Kent 56% river and reservoir 100% groundwater 98% groundwater, 56% river and reservoir 2% transfers 44% groundwater Thanet, Kent Western area Rural Hampshire WesternBrighton, waterEastern resourceSussex zones area Central water resource zones Eastern water resource zones 100% groundwater 77% groundwater, North Hampshire takes all of its water 100% groundwater North2% river, Sussex 21% transfers Kingsclere,In Kent, Hampshire Medway East, Medway West 35% groundwater, 51% river, Medway East, Kent from groundwater. South Hampshire Hastings, Sussex 100% groundwater Winchester, Hampshire 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 Worthing, Sussex Medway West, Kent two-thirds from the River Test and the Andover, Hampshire 16% transfers Southampton East, Hampshire 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 Thanet, Kent use per person water use per Rural HampshireRiver Medway. Hastings in Sussex takes Brighton,water Sussex 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, Southampton West, Hampshire 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. Winchester, Hampshire Hastings, Sussex – 124 litres – 147 litres Isle of Wight 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 SouthamptonMedway East to, Hastings.Hampshire 52% river, 48% groundwater Southampton West, Hampshire 100% river Isle of Wight 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.