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Anglian Water In Shared Resources Agreement With Farmers
Utility company Anglian Water has entered into an agreement with farmers in the vicinity of the River Nene whereby the company will reduce abstraction for drinking water to allow for more irrigation downstream. This water will be made up when there are additional flows in the river.
This partnership between the firm and the Environment Agency, Middle Level Commissioners and the North Level Internal Drainage Board was first put to the test back in 2018 and met with great success.
Since then, the Lower Nene partnership has convened every summer to review the needs of users downstream. In all, there will be 25 million litres of water a day available for local farmers ranging from the south and east of Peterborough to the north of Cambridge.
Sarah Underhill, regional water resources manager for Anglian Water, observed that agriculture is a big part of the local economy and water is essential for supporting this.
The start to 2022 has been drier than usual, she continued, adding that only 85 per cent of the average rainfall over the last six months has been seen. This is why resources are now being redirected, as local farmers need more of them in order to irrigate their crops.
Ms Underhill went on to say: “The East of England is the driest region in the country, receiving a third less rainfall than anyone else in the UK. Looking to the future, we recognise that the impact of climate change and population growth in our region will pose a significant challenge to the water resources we have available
“Investment now in resilient infrastructure, driving down leakage to world-leading low levels, and helping our customers save more water than ever before will make a difference to the resources we all have available for the long term, not just the summer.”
Businesses in the region can also take steps to safeguard water resources for the future, with the added benefit of potentially saving themselves a significant amount of money at the same time.
Before water-saving measures can be implemented, it is important to know how and where you use water across your business operations… and this is where a water audit really comes into its own.
This involves comparing your water usage and consumption, including volumes, with what you’re being charged for.
The aim is to reveal any discrepancies that may exist that could have led to you being overcharged for services. Once the results of the audit are in, you’re then able to see where best to focus your water-saving efforts, reducing your usage and consequently lowering your costs, as well.
It’s possible that you could see a 30 per cent drop in charges for water supply and wastewater disposal! If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the team here at H2o Building Services today.