‘Environmental cost of water should be added to its price’

The “environmental price” of water should be factored into price controls according to Charles Walker, chair of APPG on chalk streams, who welcomed legislation to protect watercourses.

Water companies must do more to sustainably manage rivers and streams and Walker called on the regulator to get behind them.

“Ofwat has to support and recognise water companies in pursuit of environmental objectives and sustainability,” he said. “It can’t be just about the price of what comes out of the tap because there is a huge environmental price attached to the degradation of rivers.”

He suggested this should be priced into the model for the overall cost of a litre of water with the recognition that water from an aquifer can be more environmentally damaging than from a reservoir.

Walker spoke on the Affinity Water podcast on chalk streams. The company has worked to preserve these waterways and in September announced it had ceased abstracting from one stream and was working to minimise the water taken from others in its region.

The commitments were echoed by other water companies across the south where 85 per cent of the world’s chalk streams are found.

Walker praised the work that Affinity Water has done to preserve the streams, which are vulnerable to over abstraction across the south east of England. He added that many customers now expect such leadership.

“If companies can be at the forefront of improving not just chalk streams but all watercourses they have some responsibility for, then that is going to reflect very well on water companies. They are an ally in this, not the enemy.”

Last month Affinity Water launched a campaign called Save our Streams to underline to the public where the water consumed in homes is taken directly from local rivers and streams. It focuses on water efficiency tips that can be tailored to households and underlines the message that water comes from rivers and streams in many areas rather than reservoirs.

Walker, MP for Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, said: “small actions do make a big difference,” and called for improved education on how to use water efficiently. He welcomed the idea of a label to give consumers the information to make environmentally friendly decisions when appliance shopping.

The upcoming Environment Bill is expected to include legislation raised by Philip Dunne’s private members bill to monitor and better limit the overflows made by combined sewer systems.