1. THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
Water is a valuable resource, not only to man but to all living species
on this planet.
Man's
intervention in the 'natural water cycle' to provide for public water
supplies must be managed in sustainable fashion so that the needs
of other species are respected. Nevertheless, the provision of reliable
water supplies to the population of the UK over the last 150 years
has been a major contributory factor in the improving public health
of the nation.
The Company has both a moral and a statutory duty under Section 93A
of the Water Industry Act 1991, to promote the efficient use of the
water it supplies. The Company has relatively plentiful resources
with a significant supply/demand surplus. It has low charges and so
is under no economic pressure to make large water efficiency savings.
The Company's policies and actions may therefore be relatively modest
compared to others with resource problems. This document sets out
the Company's policies for ensuring that its use of water resources
do not cause long term damage to the water environment.
2.
BACKGROUND TO THE PLAN
The Company abstracts on average around 180 million litres of water
each day to supply both domestic and commercial customers. That water
is abstracted from natural springs at Havant and Bedhampton, wells
and boreholes throughout its area and a river abstraction at Gaters
Mill near West End, Southampton. The two major sources, the natural
Springs at Havant and Bedhampton and the river intake at Gaters Mill
on the River Itchen, are just above tidal limits and so these abstractions
have no environmental impact. The majority of the Company's well and
borehole sites have relatively little impact upon the water environment.
As a result of several factors such as reduced leakage, lower commercial
use, reduced demand following the installation of pressure control
systems and more careful use by customers, the Company now abstracts
almost 20% less water than it did in the mid-1980s as demonstrated
below.
This
reduction has enabled the Company to reduce its abstraction levels
which should ensure that there are sufficient resources to meet the
expected demands of the next 25 years without the need for the development
of additional sources.
Per
capita consumption is predicted to grow, albeit at a slow rate, as
a result of a combination of increasing personal needs as well as
a reduction in occupancy rates (smaller households are known to use
more water than larger ones). It is essential that the Company ensures,
where possible, growth in demand is minimised by encouraging all of
its customers to take an active interest in water efficiency.
3.
POLICIES AND ACTIONS
Any actions which the Company institutes will have cost implications.
Thus, given the Company's low charges, its relatively plentiful resource
position and the limited impact of abstraction on the water environment,
the actions which the Company can afford will understandably be modest.
All of the actions below will be subject to review from time to time.
Policy
for Controlling Peak Demands
During summer periods when groundwater levels may already be low,
increased abstraction has the potential to cause greatest effect.
The
Company will therefore continue to:
-
Require
those customers wishing to use garden sprinklers, unattended hoses
or irrigation systems, to be metered.
-
Support
local water butt sales which help to reduce peak demands.
-
Maximise the use of its pressure control technology to restrain demand.
-
Modify
measured tariffs, within the limits of regulatory controls, to discourage
unnecessary and wasteful use of water.
Leakage
Policy
The
Company, through its long history of attention to leakage, has one
of the lowest levels of leakage per household in England and Wales.
Total leakage has been reducing each year and this is demonstrated
in the graph below:-
The
Company's future leakage activities will be focused on:
-
Maintaining
overall leakage at economic levels and reviewing the economics on
a regular basis.
-
Providing
Company assistance to private domestic customers in locating and
repairing leaks on their underground supply pipes.
-
Subsidising
the cost of replacing supply pipes which are found to be in poor
condition during the course of the mains renewals programmes.
Policy
for Reducing Toilet Flushing Volumes
On average around 35% of water is used in domestic households for
toilet flushing. Although new water regulations now require new toilets
to use less water, the majority of older cisterns flush up to 9 litres
of water every time they are used.
Many
toilet pans are capable of effective use with smaller quantities of
water for flushing and so 'cistern displacement devices' can prove
to be effective in reducing overall consumption.
The Company will continue to:
-
Encourage
the use of displacement devices in toilet cisterns through its information
leaflets and general advice to customers.
-
Make
available free displacement devices upon request by individual customers.
-
Encourage
developers to install new efficient designs for toilet cisterns
in compliance with the new regulations.
Policy
for Advice to Customers and Self Audits
All customers, both domestic and commercial, have been provided with
leaflets in the last three years giving information about how they
can reduce consumption. In addition, the Company has placed advertisements
in local and trade press as further reminders. The Company updated
its leaflets in accordance with current policy and practice during
2000/01.
Self-Audit advice, principally for domestic customers, is available
on the Company's website and was included in the Spring 2000 issue
of the Company Newsletter. A reminder was included in the May 2001
issue and the availability of the new Water Saving leaflets advertised.
Self-Audits for commercial customers will be encouraged during the
course of Water Regulations checks by Company Inspectors and check
lists will be provided at the time of those visits.
All commercial customers will receive 'Saving Water in your Business'
leaflets during 2001.
Educational
Policy
For many years the Company has been providing talks and visits to
Water Treatment Works for educational and social groups. Given the
importance of establishing good water efficiency practice at all ages,
the Company will continue to focus the water efficiency message during
all of its presentations.
Policy
for Self-Audits in Schools, Hospitals and Other Community Premises
The Company has already conducted seminars with some specific community
groups and developed water saving literature. It has recently been
involved in 'Water in Hampshire', an initiative developed by Hampshire
County Council to ensure sustainable development of water resources
for the future.
Water Saving leaflets for schools developed in conjunction with the
local Environment Agency staff and local Education Authority staff
will be sent out to all schools in the Company's area in 2001.
-
In conjunction with the Environment Agency and Community Groups,
the Company will therefore undertake:
-
The
development and promulgation of water saving literature to community
groups.
The
presentation of further seminars and where necessary, specific advice
for setting up Self Audits for hospitals and other community premises
using the Company's existing data.
4. RESEARCH
To ensure that the Company's actions are effective the Company will
involve itself in both local and national research. Its efforts to
date have covered the following:
-
A
Portsmouth Water Domestic Consumption Monitor, started in 1998,
of over 500 properties which measures household use, the impact
of weather conditions, type and size of households. 50 properties
have been fitted with sophisticated logging devices in order to
quantify peak household demands.
-
A
Portsmouth Water Conservation Study, started in 1999, in which 25
properties have been fitted, free of charge, with low-cost water
saving measures such as water butts and cistern displacement devices.
This enables the Company to monitor the impact of various efficiency
devices on both peak and average demands.
-
A
Portsmouth Water Cistern Displacement Device Monitor, started in
2000, which will compare the impact and effectiveness of installing
displacement devices in the toilet cisterns of a sample of over
100 properties.
-
A
study of the impact of water efficiency devices for use in commercial
properties, was started in 2001 by installing various devices in
the Company Headquarters.
