Water companies to invest £22bn in wide-ranging programme to protect environment
Water companies to invest £22bn in wide-ranging programme to protect environment
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Water companies are to undertake thousands of actions totalling £22 billion in investment to improve the environment, under a programme agreed with regulators. The 24,000 actions utilities must undertake in the next five years to meet their environmental requirements include upgrading storm overflows to reduce sewage pollution, protecting thousands of miles of rivers and improving newly designated bathing sites.
They form part of the water industry’s national environment programme which represents a £22.1 billion investment to support nature and tackle environmental pressures, quadruple what was spent in the previous five years. The programme is part of the price review process led by water regulator Ofwat which approved an overall £104 billion investment package by water companies in December, paid for by an increase in consumer bills.
Under the process, the Environment Agency assessed actions proposed by water companies and, alongside Ofwat and Natural England, provided technical guidance to make sure they will deliver for the environment and nature. Companies have submitted plans to establish trials to remove nitrate pollution from the water system, restore important chalk streams and install measures to remove invasive species.
The programme also sets goals to reduce the amount of water abstracted from the environment, protecting and enhancing 13,500km (more than 8,000 miles) of rivers, upgrading 2,340 storm overflows, and improving 21 newly designated bathing water sites across England.
