Biodiversity strategy

The nature of Northumbrian Water – biodiversity in action

Introduction

Northumbrian Water provides water and sewerage services to 2.6 million customers in the north east of England (as Northumbrian Water) and water only services to 1.7 million customers in the south east (as Essex and Suffolk Water).

Northumbrian Water’s biodiversity strategy is a comprehensive approach to conservation across the whole range of the company’s activities and sphere of influence.  It has been developed in partnership with key national and regional conservation bodies, as well as local authorities and other stakeholders, in order to address the main issues facing wildlife and habitats in our region.  The result is an extensive co-ordinated programme of initiatives, projects, research, workshops and publications, but most of all actions to protect and enhance biodiversity.

Background

Northumbrian Water has long been involved in conservation work and has a dedicated conservation team with five staff, including specialist ecological and biodiversity expertise.  The Chairman is also heavily involved in national conservation initiatives, provide further expertise and company wide support.

In 1996 we began developing a unique company biodiversity strategy, working alongside a small group of key partners with whom we explored what the Rio Conference and UK biodiversity strategy might mean for us (English Nature, RSPB, Durham Wildlife Trust and Durham County Council LA21). Subsequent to this other partners have become involved, including the Department of the Environment’s biodiversity secretariat the Northumberland, Essex and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts, and Local Authorities in both areas.

Northumbrian Water’s formal biodiversity strategy was published in 1998, making the company one of the first in the UK or indeed Europe to do so.  A second parallel strategy for our southern operating area (Essex and Suffolk) was launched in 2000 by which time our work had already attracted national attention as best practice.

Northumbrian Water’s biodiversity strategy

Our strategy is based on our unique four-stage approach to biodiversity.  We identified two major challenges and two supporting opportunities for involvement in conservation of biological diversity:

(a) as a landowner and manager
(b) as an operator
(c) as a funder
(d) as an advocate, facilitator and champion

How we have met this challenge is described below, with selected examples in the accompanying literature.

(a) As a landowner and manager

We recognise that the management of our water and associated landholdings provides an opportunity to conserve and enhance wildlife and habitats that occur or could potentially occur there.  We have developed a 5-stage programme to identify and conserve key local and national species and habitats of biodiversity importance.

• Surveys  - habitat surveys of all landholdings over 0.5Ha, plus detailed targeted surveys of key sites and key species.
• Audit  - analysis of results.
• Identifying priorities - working with partners to agree priority species and habitats.
• Action plans - detailed written plans using a common format.
• Implementation - including reporting on individual plans.

Key features of this process include:

• Working with local partners; particularly for surveying, priority identifying and implementation.
• Integration with our ISO 14000 Environmental Management System.
• Use of both programmed surveys and opportunistic data collection on wildlife by staff and volunteers.
• Reporting of results through the Local Biodiversity Action Plan partnerships and our annual reports and website.
• Creation of ZEBRA (Zones of  Environmental and Biodiversity Risk Assessment), to determine the risk to designated conservation areas from any accidents that might occur at one of our operational sites.
• All key species and habitats have detailed Biodiversity action Plans.
• All key landholdings have Conservation Management Plans to address these.
• Major programme of species and habitat specific projects: - e.g. building otter holts and islands, reedbed creation, juniper planting, badger sett creation, pond excavations, bird/butterfly and amphibian surveys, bird hides and designation of nature reserves, etc.

(b) As an operator

(i) Direct impacts

We undertake a massive investment programme in addition to our routine operational activities.  Much of this is directed at environmental improvements and benefits key biodiversity species.  For example our £150 million investment in new sewage treatment facilities along the Tyne has resulted in it becoming the best salmon river in the country, with otters now being reported as far downstream as Newcastle as well.

To ensure that new projects not only avoid damage to areas of biodiversity importance, but also that we identify and take the opportunity to enhance biodiversity as part of new projects we:

• Screen all projects for their potential impact on biodiversity – using data available on our company GIS.
• Where we are unsure of impacts, we commission research to investigate potential implications for biodiversity.
• Take the opportunity for major Biodiversity Enhancement Schemes – recent examples include:

- support for the North Pennine Black Grouse Recovery Programme (£50,000) and local Water Vole habitat creation as part of a new water treatment works in the Wear Valley
- creation of new ponds for Great Crested Newts and other amphibians in Darlington as part of a refurbishment scheme for a water treatment works [see 6]

(ii) Indirect impacts

We recognise that our purchasing policy, transport, waste minimisation, water use, energy consumption and other activities can have real, though indirect impacts on biodiversity, albeit not readily apparent and often not local.  We have addressed these environmental impacts through targeted projects, Environmental Management Systems and our Environmental Champion Scheme.

These have included our:

• Water conservation and leakage reduction programme.
• Energy management and renewable energy programme.
• Aggregate and other recycling initiatives (including sludge recycling).
• Environmental champions – involving staff throughout the business in raising awareness of biodiversity issues, erecting bird boxes, tree planting, working with partners (e.g. Broads Authority) on habitat management away days. 

We are also a contributor to the WaterUK initiative on reporting a range of Environmental Sustainability Indicators, charting progress on these and other issues.

(c) As a funder

The essence of our sponsorship of biodiversity is that we see ourselves as active funding partners, not as a disinterested source of cash.  In this context we have supported both the core biodiversity process and individual species/habitat projects at both national and local levels.  Examples include:

Nationally

Project support:

• National Champions for the Roseate Tern BAP (Britain’s rarest seabird), through our Environmental Trust.
• National Champions for the Round-mouthed Whorl Snail BAP (rare arctic snail, occurring only in England on land adjacent to our Cow Green Reservoir in the Pennines).
• Part of the WaterUK Otter BAP (covering Otter and River Biodiversity projects in the North East and South East)
  Core Support.
• Joint work on the DETR/Earthwatch publication of case studies in business and biodiversity, for which we were the sponsor and in which we played a major part, featuring as one of 6 best examples.
• Joint work on the Council for Environmental Education/DETR publication on guidance on biodiversity and education, where we provided funding and advice.

Regionally

Project support

• A huge range of joint biodiversity partnerships on species and habitats,  – for example on Spotted Flycatchers, bats, dormice , Otters & Rivers, Butterflies and  Oak woodlands.
• Core Support

Regionally our support to biodiversity in both north and south has been highly significant:

• As the main funder of the Durham Biodiversity Partnership (recognised as one of the best in the UK).
• Support to Northumberland BAP, Team Valley BAP, Essex BAP and regional biodiversity forums.
• Sponsorship, with Durham Wildlife Trust of a PhD studentship at Sunderland University on biodiversity and habitat fragmentation in the region.

(d) As a facilitator, advocate and champion

Nationally and locally we have used our environmental and business networks to promote conservation and biodiversity issues to a wide range of audiences.

Nationally:

We have been able to provide input into UK Government policy through our individual membership of DETR Groups:

• Biodiversity Secretariat England Local Issues Group - including involvement and contribution to workshops for the Local BAP Conferences, and articles and publications.

And by:

• Giving evidence in person at the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment’s Inquiry into Biodiversity.
• Speaking at several conferences on biodiversity and business.
• Working with RSPB and BTO on producing regional wetland bird indicators to match the government’s quality of life indicators

Regionally:

Working in partnership with other biodiversity bodies we have used our business networks to promote biodiversity and encourage others to become involved. 

Notably:

• We have organised two unique Business and Biodiversity seminars in Durham and Chelmsford, targeted specifically at local businesses. 

This included production of a specific Business Plan for the Durham event.

• Produced the Using Water Wisely booklet, which features biodiversity actions, targeted at local authorities and business.

The future

Our biodiversity strategy provides the framework for integrating biodiversity into all areas of our business internally, and more importantly with the many external stakeholders we work with.

This is an ongoing process, subject to change and adaptation, but always focussing on the key element of working in partnership to maintain and enhance biological diversity.