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Satisfaction ‘High’ With Great Britain’s Water & Sewerage Services
A new survey has revealed that satisfaction with the water and sewerage services across Great Britain is high, coming second only to Germany and enjoying results 18 points higher than the worldwide average.
Carried out by the Global Infrastructure Investor Association, the study surveyed 28 countries in total and found that 73 per cent of those asked considered our water and sewerage services to be good, compared to 55 per cent globally. The satisfaction rating is also above countries like France, Poland, Sweden and Spain, WWT Online reports.
Water UK chief executive Michael Roberts explained that the industry has invested billions in ensuring that the services it provides are some of the very best in the world and it is positive to see this now being recognised.
“We are a long way from where we were 30 years ago, when chronic underfunding made Britain the Dirty Man of Europe. Now our cleaner beaches, healthier waterways, and ambitious plans for the future make us the envy of the world,” he was quoted by the news source as saying.
In terms of investing in infrastructure, however, just 22 per cent believed that water and sewerage should be a priority, with local roads, flood defences, rail infrastructure, new housing, major roads and motorways considered to be more important at the moment.
However, it’s worth noting that more than £25 billion is due to be invested in our water infrastructure in the coming five years, necessary because our ageing systems face big challenges posed by the likes of climate change and a growing population, as well as an asset base that has more than 800,000km of pipes with an approximate average age of 70 years.
Last year, the National Infrastructure Commission published a report – Preparing for a Drier Future – setting out how England’s water supply challenges could be addressed and providing resilience over the long term where water is concerned.
The central finding was that government should make sure that increased drought resilience be secured by enhancing the capacity of our water supply system. This would require a combination of demand management (which includes leakage reduction) and long-term investment in supply infrastructure.
You might not think it given our rather damp climate but England does face serious risks of water shortages, especially in the south and east of the country where it is drier. The system is already strained and climate change, the growing population and the need to protect the environment will only serve to bring additional challenges in this regard.
Action is now needed to assure long-term supply, such as improvements in infrastructure through a national transfer network and the likes of reservoirs and water reuse systems.
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