Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 20TH - 26TH JULY 2018 | 7 News A spokesperson for South West Water says: "We remain on track to deliver our business plan by 2020 and have achieved our best ever performance in wastewater in several key areas. However, we fully recog- nise that more needs to be done and have an action plan in place to drive improvement. "Under our revised pollution reduction strategy, we remain absolutely determined to achieve 100 per cent compliance with wastewater permits, zero serious and sig- nificant pollution incidents, a big reduction in other incidents and a further increase in self-reporting. "Our continued focus on compliance at challenging sites and ongoing monitoring of their performance will ensure that our numeric compliance improves significantly during 2018." South West Water maintains 17,439km of public sewers and operates more than 650 sewage treatment works and more than 1,200 pumping stations. It says it has experienced "significantly fewer" pollution incidents than several other companies, but its performance "looks rela- tively worse" when incidents are measured per 10,000km of sewer network. Two-star rating Northumbrian Water also only received two stars for its overall performance. Howard Boyd says the company needs to improve its permit compliance, for which it was placed in the red category with a 96 per cent compli- ance rate. It was deemed significantly below target and was shown to have deteriorated a class for discharge permit compliance for water treatment works and sewage treatment works. Northumbrian was rated amber for seri- ous pollution incidents and was in the green threshold for the remaining five metrics. Richard Warneford, wastewater director, Northumbrian Water Group, says: "We are pleased that the report shows our industry- leading pollutions performance in 2017 and that we had 25 per cent less incidents than our nearest competitor. "It has also outlined how we have improved in protecting and improving the environment; and minimised the environ- mental impact of our assets and activities – while delivering good performance and sharing good practice. This is demonstrated in that overall we achieved five 'green' ratings out of seven. "However, our performance on discharge permit compliance was disappointing this year, although the issues related to only seven of our sites, and we still achieved 96 per cent compliance." He adds: "Six months into 2018 with zero compliance failures we are confident in turning previous issues around and we are pushing for 100 per cent discharge permit compliance. "We have an ambitious approach to achieving our goals and will be aiming for four-star rating in 2018. "While we recognise we have areas in which we must improve, in many areas our pollutions performance is industry leading and we will carry this forward." Overall performance Howard Boyd says: "Overall, the environ- mental performance of the water industry is good and improving, however public trust in water companies risks being eroded each time performance expectations are not met. "In a world of increasing environmental threats, the key to improving performance and building and maintaining trust is seeking partnerships where this delivers the best results." The financial regulator Ofwat says it is encouraging companies to meet their envi- ronmental challenges with a greater focus on long-term resilience with real incentives as part of its price review PR19. A spokesperson for Ofwat says: "From treating and pumping our water to taking away our wastewater, water companies can have a significant impact on the environment. Customers rightly expect their water company to manage their operations in a responsible and environmentally sustainable way." Industry trade body Water UK notes the report "rightly highlights" that the majority of the companies in the sector have a "good" or "leading" performance when it comes to protecting and enhancing the environment. Michael Roberts, chief executive of Water UK, says: "By 2020, water companies will have invested around £25 billion in environ- mental work since 1995, and this action will mean around 10,000 miles of UK rivers have been improved and protected since then. "In addition, the water industry has invested well over £2.5 billion since the 1990s to protect UK bathing waters, with the result that two-thirds of UK beaches are now classed as excellent, compared with less than a third 25 years ago. "Companies are looking to go further and plans for substantial investment in the environment are currently being finalised." The Environment Agency recently set out a more ambitious programme of environ- mental improvements that water companies will have to make between 2020 and 2025 – and will total £5 billion of investment. Toby Willison, executive director of operations for the Environment Agency, says: "One serious pollution incident is one too many. We will always work closely with companies who want to do the right thing but we will take action against those who don't." The water sector will need to rise to this challenge as well as the others it is facing if it wants to rebuild public trust. Maybe then it can hope for less criticism in the coming months and years. How pollution incident performance is rated The Environment Agency expects water companies to prevent and reduce pollution incidents and works with them to minimise damage when these incidents occur. It says: "Incidents lead to the release of harmful substances into air, land or water, and some can cause significant harm to the environment." Category 1 – has a serious, extensive or persistent impact on the environment, people or property and may, for example, result in a large number of fish deaths. Category 2 – has a lesser, yet significant impact. Category 3 – has a minor or minimal impact, with only a limited or localised effect on water quality. The total number of water quality pollution incidents in 2017 was 1,827. This was a slight reduction from 1,902 in 2016, but not as low as 1,742 in 2015. In 2017, the number of serious pollution incidents (Categories 1 and 2), reduced slightly to 52, compared with 57 in 2016, 59 in 2015 and 61 in 2014. These four years saw an improvement following the "disappointing performance" in 2013, when the sector was the cause of 88 serious pollution incidents. The EA says performance has "appeared to plateau" – contrary to its expectations. Last year, five companies had reduced the number of serious pollution incidents compared with 2016. The report shows there was a rise in the most serious incidents last year to 11, compared with nine in 2016, aer the lowest levels of four per year in 2014 and 2015. Although performance could be better, the agency notes water companies are getting better at reporting the incidents to the EA before a member of the public or a third party does.

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