Making use of existing resources
The South East of England is one of the driest regions in the UK so it’s important we all work together to make the best use of the limited resources available.
As a responsible company we want to lead the way by tackling leakage, promoting metering and working with customers to be water efficient in homes and gardens.
Leakage
Tackling leakage is a top priority and we spend more than £13 million each year on finding and repairing leaks on our 14,000 kilometres of water mains. We continue to meet the stringent leakage targets set by Ofwat in 2007.
This target is set at the Economic Level of Leakage - the level at which it becomes more expensive to find and repair leaks than it does to develop and build new water resources.
An estimated one third of leakage occurs in the underground supply pipes of our customers’ properties. To help tackle this South East Water offers an Assisted Leak Repair Scheme. Longer term we are looking to adopt customers’ supply pipes so we can maintain them more effectively.
Water Metering
South East Water actively promotes water meters as the fairest method of charging as customers only pay for what they use.
In 2007, our supply area was declared as an area of “serious” water stress. As a result, we propose to undertake a programme of metering our customers over a 10 year period, starting in 2010.
This will raise the total number of customers on a meter from 37% in 2007, to 90% by 2020. It will also help save up to 25 million litres a day compared with no metering activity.
Water Efficiency
South East Water runs a robust water efficiency campaign as part of its 25-year Water Resources Plan. The company is lobbying for new legislation to require water efficiency devices to be installed as standard in new and renovated homes under building regulations.
Other activities include working with schools, businesses, communities and individuals to promote everyday water saving activities and advice such as:
- Supplying free water saving devices for toilet cisterns
- Promoting discounted water butts
- Offering specialist garden advice
- Offering water audits for schools and businesses
- Online metering for large water users
Find out more about water efficiency in your home and garden.
Housing Partnerships
By working in partnership with housing developers we can encourage builders to develop more water efficient homes. We have teamed up with Hillreed Homes, Kent County Council and the Environment Agency to trial the innovative Savings on Tap project.
As a result Hillreed Homes has installed all new homes on the Highland Park development, in Ashford, with water efficiency appliances and fittings such as ultra low dual flush toilets, A+ rated washing machines, water saving wash basins and outside taps, high performance showers with aerated shower heads and water butts.
Alternative Tariffs Pilot
Currently the water industry is not able to offer a range of price tariffs for water like other utilities, such as gas and electricity, where customers benefit from being charged for their exact consumption.
South East Water is investigating the use of seasonal tariffs by running a pilot scheme in conjunction with our Savings on Tap initiative in Ashford. In the trial, 100 customers are being charged on a variable tariff to encourage more careful use of water during the summer.
Sharing Water Supplies
South East Water and Southern Water have worked in partnership to build a 29 kilometre pipeline to transfer water supplies from Bewl Water Reservoir, in Kent, to Darwell Reservoir in East Sussex, and from there to South East Water’s Hazards Green Water Treatment Works. This pipeline can now transfer up to 35 million litres of water a day to help supply customers in Hastings, Eastbourne and Mid Sussex where local water sources are more scarce. We continue to share bulk supplies of water with neighbouring companies.
Water Restrictions
During 2005/2006, South East Water introduced restrictions on hosepipes and sprinklers for its domestic customers in order to help manage limited resources during one of the most severe droughts for decades. The restrictions, along with a media campaign to promote water efficiency, were an important tool in managing the resource available during the severe drought. The restrictions were lifted in February 2007 after winter rainfall replenished the important underground supplies.
Water companies in the South East also worked together to tackle the drought and launched a regional website Water in the South East, to help keep customers and stakeholders up to date on the water resource situation.