Utility Week

10 | 27TH MARCH - 2ND APRIL 2020 | UTILITY WEEK Policy & Regulation Analysis The end of the world as we know it: enacting resilience plans Following the rst con rmed UK cases of coronavirus, the contamination steadily took hold throughout February. By the start of March it was clear that the UK could not hope to avoid severe social and economic disruption because of the disease. Reassuringly, this was not overlooked by operators of critical infrastructure who were quick to trigger resilience strategies. In early March, United Utilities spoke to Utility Week about its move to enact a "well- rehearsed" pandemic response plan for the rst time. Other water companies said they were "dusting o- " pandemic contingency plans to ensure lifeline services – and the ability of consumers to perform all-impor- tant hygiene routines – continue without interruption. Likewise, the Energy Networks Associa- tion issued a message on behalf of gas and electricity networks to assure that "well- tested" contingency plans including "mutual aid arrangements" under which networks share workers and equipment are kicking into action across the industry. Given that water and energy networks are used to delivering emergency response dur- ing extreme weather events, their con dence is perhaps unsurprising – many workers at monopoly energy and water companies will have experience of being asked suddenly to perform roles that fall outside their day-to- day functions for the greater good. This said, the current coronavirus sce- nario does present challenges that are unlike weather-related emergencies. Workforce strain For instance, and perhaps most obviously, there is the very real prospect that critical national infrastructure owners will nd their workforces signi cantly diminished as work- ers self-isolate. This impact will be universal – a network in one region will not be able to rely on the "mutual-aid" of others as is the norm in storm and ‰ ooding events. There may also be parts of the workforce that responsible employers must steer clear of deploying into situations where social contact is a likelihood – in a sector with a sig- ni cantly older demographic, especially in key engineering functions, this could cause further strain on workforce availability. Then too there is the fact that, unlike in extreme weather, companies are not currently focused on restoring supply, but on mitigat- ing the chances of failure during a period of signi cantly altered deman d dynamics. This is especially the case for water com- panies, as Nicci Russell, managing director of Waterwise, said when she spoke to Utility Week, also in early March. She warned of a spike in water demand because of increased hand washing. A hand wash lasting for the government-recommended two minutes could use up to two litres of water, we learned. For water companies with a generally incomplete knowledge of per capita con- sumption at the best of times, the impact of this increased usage over a sustained period is diŒ cult to prepare for. But it runs counter to an ongoing need to engage consumers in signi cant demand reduction in the face of water shortage challenges across the south of the UK. Coronavirus: 50 days in the UK

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