Environment Agency Consultation - Updating the determination of water stressed areas in England
The Environment Agency are consulting on whether new areas should be classified as water stressed.
Seven additional water company areas may need to adopt the highest level of water-saving measures.
Water is a vital part of our environment. When an area is determined to be in serious water stress by the Secretary of State for the Environment, the water company for that area must publish a water resources management plan that considers all options to manage demand more effectively – including metering and greater leakage reduction.
Although this won’t change the position here as we are already an area of water stress, some catchment partnerships/members might be interested in this consultation.
The seven additional water company areas which have been provisionally identified as priority areas are: Severn Trent Water, South Staffordshire Water, Wessex Water, Portsmouth Water, Cambridge Water, an area of South West Water, and the Isles of Scilly.
The Environment Agency (EA) is holding a consultation on their proposed updated method and results for determining areas of water stress in England for metering. The final assessment will provide the Environment Agency’s advice to the Secretary of State.
The EA are seeking views on their updated methods and the data they have used to determine water stress areas, so they can forward their final proposals to the Secretary of State.
The EA will use the determination to inform if water companies, in areas of serious water stress can consider charging for water by metered volume for all customers which is called compulsory metering. This is one of the options they can consider in their water resources management plans to manage water supplies.
Closing date 11th March 2021