Susan Davy: Change won’t happen overnight

Pennon's chief executive Susan Davy recently invited South West Water customers to do their bit to keep coastal waters and rivers clean from pollution and set out the group's WaterFit programme of work to improve water quality but warns change will take time

The South West is a region which is renowned for its natural environment, not least its beautiful rivers and 860 miles of coastline. As the water and wastewater service provider for the region I know we have a responsibility to look after the places our customers love, now and for future generations.

Over the past six months I have been listening closely to our customers and it is clear that they want us to go further and faster in protecting and enhancing our rivers and seas.

WaterFit outlines how we will protect our region’s rivers and seas, together. This is not about broad pledges; this is about delivering a tangible step change in performance backed up by credible plans and increased investment, with the support of all our talented employees.

WaterFit will dramatically reduce our use of storm overflows, maintain our region’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round and reduce and then remove our impact on river water quality by 2030. We also want to put nature on everyone’s doorstep, look to introduce inland bathing, create and restore habitats, inspire local champions to help us make lasting improvements and work towards a more sustainable future. All anchored in our commitment to give the data to our customers and the public that puts them in control.

We have already been making strong progress. I’m proud that this year for the first time ever, we achieved 100% bathing water quality right across the region, with 98% rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Last year also saw the publication of our Green Recovery Plan which outlines the steps we are taking to make an even bigger societal contribution. Alongside this, we published our Net Zero Plan to reduce our operational carbon emissions and hit net zero by 2030.

Despite these positive steps, I acknowledge we need to do more. I’m proud to call the South West home and as a keen paddle boarder I recognise that water based recreation has become even more popular over recent years, and the pandemic has strengthened the bond we all have with our environment, so now is the time for a step change.

We are accelerating our plans for better river and coastal water quality across our region with WaterFit, going further and faster for the benefit of all.

I know there has been a lot of debate about storm overflows and river water quality and we have committed to reduce our impact on rivers by one third by 2025 and going further still, we plan to target zero impact by 2030. On top of this, we will reduce spills from storm overflows to an average of 20 per year by 2025 and deliver zero serious pollutions by 2025.

But we know we cannot achieve this alone. Our action will be supported by our ongoing work with local partners to stop pollutants from 120,000 hectares of regional farmland getting into rivers and seas. We will continue working with our 10 million visitors and 2.3 million customers, so that they understand the important role they play in protecting our region, through considering what they flush. This will help us prevent millions of unflushables, such as wet wipes, entering our systems and causing blockages which harm the environment.

It is these clear and measurable objectives, set out in WaterFit, against which our customers, stakeholders and communities can hold us to account. Through the publication of our plan, we will continue to target a step change in our environmental performance to deliver the change we all want to see.

This won’t happen overnight, it will take time, and we will be open and transparent about the progress we are making to ensure the South West remains a fantastic place to live, work and visit for generations to come.