ICE South West has today called for action to address the water challenges facing the region, citing peak demand in summer and the tourism industry as major pressure points.
ICE says two unusually dry winters have left rivers and groundwater levels in the South West at “exceptionally low levels”. Reservoir levels remained within the normal range, but ICE warns that a third dry winter could impact significantly on agriculture and the environment, as well as the security of public water supplies.
In its local briefing, released alongside the national ICE report, ICE South West says the region needs to implement an improved and better integrated network of water infrastructure to tackle the problem of any future water scarcity. This includes retrofitting, replacing leaking pipe work and improving water resources and storage. ICE South West is also urging the public and water-reliant businesses to decrease their water usage wherever possible.
ICE South West Regional Director Trish Johnson said the report was a warning about the state of water in the region. “The population of the South West is expected to increase around 17% by 2030, so managing our water resources sustainably, reducing demand and planning for the future will be critical. The South West has a unique situation, where beach cleaning and pressure from tourism has pushed up costs. Many homes already have meters, which allow them to monitor their usage, but we would like this to be the case in all homes.”
Although the South West is not currently considered a water-stressed area, Trish warned: “Commonly thought of ‘rainy’ areas won’t be like that in the future – rainfall will be more varied, both in terms of time and location. We need to adapt our thinking and plan for a less certain future.”
The report makes three recommendations:
1. Further reductions in the leakage from water pipes and changes to reduce the impact of water abstraction on the environment.
2. Better connectivity between water companies so they can share resources on a localised scale.
3. Raise the awareness of the value of water. Universal metering should be rolled out, complemented by discretionary and social tariffs. More incentives need to be introduced to encourage water intensive industries to store and use water more efficiently.
Nationally, ICE is calling for a 30% reduction of water usage per person from the average of 150 litres a day. It is also recommending the phased introduction of discretionary tariffs, which reward low water usage and discourage high usage, across the UK.
ICE acknowledges Government has made some positive steps in the Water White Paper and the announcement of a draft Water Bill, but urges it to deliver on these intentions without delay and within the context of a UK-wide vision.
The South West briefing sheet is available for download at www.ice.org.uk/sw/son2012 To download the national report and read more about the launch, see www.ice.org.uk/sonwater2012