Environment
The environment is at the heart of South East Water’s operations. As a landowner we take great care to ensure we protect it in our position as a supplier of drinking water.
We look after 20 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), a National Reserve, two local Nature Reserves and numerous Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty across the South East of England.
Following years of careful and sensitive management our sites are home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, an abundance of wildflowers, rare orchids and butterflies.
We often work in partnership with organisations and local groups, such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Natural England, The Sussex and Hampshire Wildlife Trusts and the Kent Wildlife Trust.
We are a member of the Sussex Otters & Rivers Partnership, which was set up in 2000, to encourage otters to return to Sussex and protect water vole and black poplar trees.
And whenever we undertake construction work, such as laying new pipelines, we ensure the correct surveys and mitigation measures are put in place to protect the environment.
Our conservation work has been recognised with a number of awards, including:
The Peter Parker Prize for Business Commitment to the Environment
This award named the company as providing the most outstanding example of environmental best practice in the country.
The Green Apple Award
The Green Organisation presented South East Water with a bronze Green Apple Award for a 'living' willow sculpture created by Conservation Ranger Richard Dyer on former wasteland in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, as an environmental gift to the community.
Barcombe ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
South East Water has developed and implemented an Environmental Management System in conformance to ISO 14001 for the Barcombe Water Treatment and Reservoir site which was certified in 2002.