Utility Week

40 | MAY 2021 | UTILITY WEEK Operational Excellence Interview T oby Willison joined Southern Water from the Environment Agency in November last year as director of envi- ronment and corporate affairs. There was a fair amount of controversy at the time, espe- cially when the company was being pros- ecuted by the Environment Agency (EA) for historic misreporting offences. Concerns were raised that the relation- ship with the regulator had become too close, but Willison believes that a "close yet challenging" relationship is the best one. He says his 18 years with the EA, including as director of operations and acting chief executive, showed him that the best out- comes came from mutual understanding and shared objectives and priorities. "I've worked with every water company and I could see that Southern was on the cusp of transforming its performance. Chief executive Ian MacAulay put in a whole new leadership team and a great vision for the company. The building blocks are in place to drive the company forward and I wanted to be part of that," he says. Nature-based solutions Willison maintains that Southern's plan to create a resilient future for the South East also means protecting the environment, in particular the chalk streams at risk of over- abstraction. The company is increasingly turning to nature-based solutions as it faces the dual issues of climate change and popu- lation growth. Interventions such as creating wetlands, planting trees, creating river margins, and withdrawing land from agricultural use can increase the ability of the natural environ- ment to store water, taking pressure of the system while also improving its quality. "We're really enthusiastic about looking at nature-based solutions that fulfil multiple benefits. They give great value for the envi- ronment and provide resilience to our assets and amenity value for communities," Willi- son says. "Infrastructure businesses, including the water industry, haven't been very good at incorporating all those benefits into our decision making. Our approach won't just look at the monetary benefits but all the dif- ferent benefits from an investment. "Customers, shareholders and investors want efficiency and value for money, and you get a lot of that from thinking more crea- tively about solutions, which is one of the things I wanted to bring to Southern." Willison notes the shiŒ towards a greater focus on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) including Ofwat's encourage- ment for companies to deliver public value through investment. "We believe it's the right way forward for the business, custom- ers and the environment. But it won't hap- pen overnight. There's going to be a blend to deliver those multiple benefits, which is what people expect and what the environ- ment needs," he says. Sustainable urban drainage systems can reduce the use of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), while improved management of agri- cultural land can reduce run-off and take pressure off drainage systems. Replacing all CSOs would cost over £100 billion and take more than 25 years. A holistic approach to the problem, supported by legislation, could stop this from becoming a necessity. "We as a company and industry think we can be part of the solution, but that solution won't be digging up every road in the coun- try to replace the sewer system. We need to identify where the pressures are in each area to understand what can be done." Helping customers to lower their water consumption has a vital role to play in eas- ing population pressure and reducing the amount of carbon-intensive work done to pump and treat water. "The more we can do to help people "We are not impelled to do the right thing; we want to do it." Toby Willison, Director of environment and corporate affairs, Southern Water

• Cover