Collaboration needed to future proof water supplies in the North

A “pan regional voice” for stakeholders in the north of England water sector is being called for in a new study that predicts resources will become scarcer across the region.

Pressures on water supply and demand in the north are expected to become more acute than previously thought in the next 25 years, according to the study by IPPR called Natural Assets North: Water in the Northern Powerhouse.

These pressures on the region could put industry and businesses at risk of shortages unless a collective and collaborative approach to managing natural assets is employed, the report stresses.

A group representing the specific interests of stakeholders in the water sector in the north of England is at a “very embryonic stage” according to the author of the report Jack Hunter, a research fellow at IPPR.

“We wanted to push that it’s a shared problem and something that effects the entire economy,” Hunter told Utility Week. His group is calling for the development of strategic relationships at regional level with water companies working together.

“There are big conversations going on about the future of the north of England and the strategic needs of the region as a whole, which has not happened for a long time”, he said.

He told Utility Week water companies must be included in discussions about the relationship between the environment and industry to address resource needs across the region.

“We’ve seen across quite a few sectors that businesses and institutions are asking ‘where is our voice at the northern level?’ because so many conversations are based solely in Westminster.”

The report indicates five factors that will add pressure on supply:

• Climate change, which is expected to cause significant reductions in rainfall and water flow
• Public attitude and collective responsibility over water usage
• Water companies’ abilities to deliver their water management plans over 25 years including ambitious leakage reduction targets laid out by Ofwat in PR19
• Population growth, which  is likely to offset some gains made by water efficient households
• Growing demand for energy including plans to reduce carbon emissions using capture and store carbon, which are particularly water intensive

Politicians and leaders are called upon to work with stakeholders in the north to take shared responsibility for ensuring the demand for water remains sustainable in coming decades.

In the northern regions, Yorkshire and the Humber face greatest long-term pressures. A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said many people still take water for granted and need to be mindful to reduce consumption with water saving techniques.

“By being more water efficient this also helps ease the pressure on local rivers and reservoirs, creating more stable environments for the wildlife that live there. We also aim to do our part by reducing leakage by 15 per cent by 2020 and this year are installing 34,000 acoustic loggers on our underground pipe network, which will give us a much greater understanding and visibility of what is happening in some of the areas most prone to leaks.”

Meanwhile Northumbrian Water said the company has “a significant surplus of raw water, which is sufficient to meet all forecast demands well beyond 2060”.It said this was aided by Kielder reservoir, the largest man-made reservoir in northern Europe.

A spokesman said: “Despite this surplus of water, to build on our industry-leading environmental performance, we will be further reducing our leakage levels by 15 per cent between 2020 and 2025 and continue to ask our customers to use water wisely.”