Moratorium: Suffolk Businesses Told Not To Increase Water Usage

A moratorium has been imposed on small drinks manufacturers in Suffolk by utility company Essex and Suffolk Water, which has confirmed that there will be no new mains water connections for non-domestic use until 2033 and businesses will not be able to increase water usage above current levels through their current connections.

The region has been classed by the Environment Agency as water stressed, with Essex and Suffolk Water – part of Northumbrian Water – recently agreeing to cut back on the amount of groundwater that’s abstracted, the Guardian reports.

Water director Kieran Ingram said that this latest decision hasn’t been taken lightly, adding: “While we sympathise with affected businesses, we are forecasting business demand for water to double in our Hartismere area, which covers Eye and surrounding villages.

“We have to protect water supplies for our existing customers, especially to household customers who we have an absolute legal requirement to supply.”

He went on to note that improvement projects have been underway for some time, with new pipelines set to be installed, water leaks across the network tackled head on and burst pipes repaired as quickly as possible to help reduce pressure on supplies.

In a letter to small companies in Suffolk, the utility firm confirmed that the moratorium would be in place for most of the next decade, explaining that without it there would be insufficient water to meet all existing and new demand for mains water until new water supplies have been developed.

One company likely to be affected by the development is the Heart of Suffolk Distillery in Bacton. Managing director Ryan Luke told the news source that water is vital for spirit production and the brand is always increasing the number of distillations conducted, which means more water resources will be required to match company growth.

He went on to say that the limits imposed by the moratorium could see him forced to relocate, which would put even more financial pressure on the business.

Policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses Tina McKenzie made further comments, saying that water firms need to push forward with progress on tackling water leaks and making proper investments in infrastructure following a commitment made by them in 2019 to decrease demand and increase supply.

She said: “The water moratorium in Suffolk shows there is still a long way to go before achieving that. Water efficiency can be improved without preventing small firms from growing.”

Water demand on the rise

Essex and Suffolk Water predicts that there will be a 34 per cent increase in the Essex population over the next 40 years, with a 29 per cent increase in Suffolk.

However, the number of people living in each household will drop over this timeframe, with the amount of water used by each customer in the catchment area expected to fall each year across the planning household, thanks to uptake of water meters and increased response to the utility firm’s water efficiency activities.

Because of the forecast growth of new businesses in the local area, however, a gradual increase in the amount of water used by industry over this period is expected to be seen, as well.

Businesses in the region concerned about this forthcoming moratorium and what it means for their operations might want to get ahead of the game wherever possible and start reducing their water usage and consumption now.

You might not think it but there are ways in which you can improve your water footprint, potentially quite significantly, and this has the added benefit of saving you money into the bargain.

One of the first steps to take is to have a water audit of your entire site carried out so you can see where you’re using water. This will allow you to bring in the most effective water-saving solutions, all of which can be changed over time in line with the evolving needs of your business.

Different measures you can adopt include water leak detection and repair, automated meter reading, bill consolidation and so on. You may also find that switching water suppliers can help you save both water and money, so this is something else to consider.

If you’d like to find out more about how to boost the blue credentials of your business and start operating more sustainably where water is concerned, get in touch with the SwitchWaterSupplier.com team today.