Portsmouth Water Launches River Catchment Environmental Study
Utility company Portsmouth Water has launched a new environmental study to ensure that water abstraction in the future can continue in a sustainable way, with drone surveys now being carried out across seven river catchment areas to identify key locations for habitat improvements to benefit local wildlife.
The £4 million five-year research project aims to provide a clearer picture of the action required to ensure that all rivers in the region achieve good environmental status and whether, in order to deliver this, limits will need to be implemented on how much water the supplier abstracts from groundwater sources as time goes on.
The Itchen, Meon, Ems and Lavant rivers are to be included in the study, alongside others in West Sussex, with drones used to conduct hydrological drainage assessments along these stretches.
Flood risk and habitat surveys will also be conducted, with land use analysed and pollution sources identified. Thermal applications will be used to understand flow temperature and changes to help build up a better picture of river environmental health.
Portsmouth Water itself needs to provide 178 million litres of water a day on average to more than 740,000 people in its catchment area, with daily losses of up to 122 million litres over the next 25 years prepared for in its current water resource management plan.
This gap is intended to be filled through measures such as reducing public water demand through smart metering programmes and finding new sources of water that don’t come directly from the environment.
As well as prioritising river health, studies will also include flow and water quality monitoring, alongside invertebrate and fish investigations, with all data available for anyone interested in finding out more.
Chief executive officer for Portsmouth Water Bob Taylor said: “Against the backdrop of climate change and population growth, Portsmouth Water’s mission is to provide an affordable, reliable, and crucially, a sustainable supply of high-quality water for all its customers.
“The drone surveys taking place this week are a critical step to gather insights across our watercourses, enabling us to protect the local environment while ensuring we can continue to meet our customers’ water needs.”
Other water sustainability measures
This study isn’t the only work that Portsmouth Water has in the pipeline to help it reduce its water footprint and shore up supplies for future generations.
For example, the company is making progress on the UK’s first new major reservoir in a generation, with the Havant Thicket site due to play a key role in protecting the Itchen and Test chalk streams through provision of a new sustainable water source.
A new reinforced concrete culvert has been constructed, which will provide housing for pipework taking water from the reservoir for treatment and customer supply. The big build phase is now fast approaching and this will continue for more than four years.
Once complete, the reservoir will be capable of holding up to 8.7 billion litres of water, supplying 21 million litres per day during prolonged periods of dry weather.
It will also enable a water transfer scheme in partnership with neighbouring supplier Southern Water, as well as serving as a green leisure hub, with wetlands, footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes, as well as a visitor centre.
How can businesses help?
Local businesses concerned about the pressures now being put on water resources in south-east Hampshire and West Sussex will be pleased to hear that there’s a lot they can do to help shore up supplies by reducing their own water usage and consumption.
One of the best and most immediate ways to make significant reductions in water usage is to change business water supplier, a process that involves a water audit of your site so you can find out more about how and where you’re using water.
Once you have an idea of your water consumption habits, you can start to introduce real and long-lasting change across the board, focusing on the weaker and more vulnerable areas of your business and introducing water-saving solutions as appropriate over time, evolving these in line with the changing needs of your company as the years go by.
There are many different water retailers these days, however, thanks to the deregulation of the market back in 2017 – so it can be quite confusing to find out which company would best serve the interests of your business.
However, the Switch Water Supplier team can cut out the noise and simplify it all, ensuring that you get the best deals going. If you’d like to find out more, give us a call today.