Supply and demand

09/05/2008

Plans to explain how water supplies are to be managed in the driest region of the UK have been published.

Essex & Suffolk Water, along with all water companies in England and Wales, is required to publish a draft plan to explain how water supplies will be managed in to the future.

Members of the public will have the opportunity, for the first time, to see and comment on water resource management plans which, for Essex & Suffolk Water, includes proposals on how the company plans to ensure sufficient water supplies to meet customers’ needs over the next 25 years.
 
Essex & Suffolk Water, which supplies water to 1.8 million customers in the South East and operates in the driest region of the UK, is committed to continuing to raise awareness about the importance of water efficiency and maintaining some of the lowest leakage levels in the UK.

In Essex, in addition to demand management there is also a need to develop a large new water resource and the plan confirms the case for increasing the storage capacity of Abberton reservoir, near Colchester, by 58% in 2014.  The plan also includes a proposal to meter all domestic properties by the end of 2020.  By 2010, 46% of domestic customers in Essex and 57% in Suffolk will have a metered water supply.

It is predicted that additional water resources will also be required in the northern and central areas of Suffolk by 2021 and details of the possibility of developing a new groundwater scheme in North Lowestoft are also detailed.

Customers of Essex & Suffolk Water have until Friday, July 25 2008 to view and comment on the plan by logging onto http://www.eswater.co.uk/eswwrmpsea.aspx.  Feedback and comments should be sent either directly to DEFRA, in writing, or emailed to water.resources@defra.gsi.gov.uk

New resource development, leakage levels, carbon emissions, economic analysis, assessment on customer water efficiency, the effects of climate change and growing demand are all analysed in depth.

Martin Lunn, Essex & Suffolk Water’s Supply Demand Strategy Manager, said: “The plan outlines how we intend to maintain the balance between supply and demand with an ever increasing population, changing lifestyle and the challenge of climate change.

“When promoting water efficiency, we have had an excellent response from customers and we welcome their feedback on the plan as they play a large part in helping to manage our precious water resources.”

Following consultation, and further work with regulators, the final plans should be released in July 2009.

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For further information please contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.