Southern Water is being called into question Wednesday for its attempts to use a drought permit to take more water for its customers from a chalk stream as dry conditions continue, even as the company loses an estimated 22 million gallons of water per day from its pipes. .
The water company is asking for permission. to get more water from the river Test due to drought conditions in the south of England. But Fish Legal has asked for a formal hearing to challenge the attempt to extract more water. The legal group campaigning says the company hasn’t done enough to reduce customers’ water use or find a way to protect fish stocks in the river before resorting to a drought permit.
Southern became the first water company in England to issue a hose ban last week in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. With other water companies, Southern contributes to nearly 3 billion liters a day of water leaking from its pipes, though it says it is among the best in the country at addressing leaks. The company filters approximately 88 million liters of water per day.
The company has submitted a drought permit application to the Environment Agency to allow it to continue drawing water from the Test even if the river falls below an agreed minimum level, which has been set to protect the salmon population.
Southern Water’s current license allows it to take water from the Test as long as the flow does not fall below 355 million liters per day (mld), called the “hands-off flow” limit. This cap was set by the EA after a public consultation in 2018. The utility now wants this level temporarily lowered to $265ml.
Penélope Gane, head of practice at Fish Legal, said: “With a dry winter and spring, drought was virtually unavoidable this summer. However, water use in the area has increased since October 2021, suggesting that the water company’s efforts to “manage demand” have not worked.
“Southern Water’s drought planning has not put the environment first. Only belatedly have they warned customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that they intend to ban the hoses.
“That says that only in extremis and at the last minute will Southern Water take proactive steps to protect the environment – in this case, a rare chalk stream that is habitat for salmon – rather than continue with business as usual. usual”.
Fish Legal says continued extraction below the current flow limit could seriously threaten the river’s ecology and fish populations, including Atlantic salmon and sea trout already under pressure from low flows.
Wild salmon are found at critical levels in English rivers. A Defra report last month shows that 74% of rivers in England are now “at risk” with wild salmon populations no longer at sustainable levels and threatened with irreversible decline or even extinction.
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter, every Monday to Friday morning at 7am BST
Andrew Kelton, Solicitor for Fish Legal, said: “The drought permit will inevitably harm fish by further depleting hot, deoxygenated and already extremely low water and, unsurprisingly, will lead to fish kills. Southern Water has made some initial, and untested, plans for fish rescue and relocation, but to my knowledge this has never been done successfully for migratory adult salmon.”
Southern Water said regarding its application for a drought permit: “While you are in the process of applying for a drought permit, we urge and remind all customers in Hampshire to reduce water use wherever possible, to help us protect the impact on the river’s habitat.
Nick Price, manager of water resources strategy at Southern Water, said: “With river flows dropping after a dry winter and spring, the risk is increasing that we will need to use a drought permit to continue supplying water. The less we take out of the Test River for our water supply, the more we leave for wildlife and to maintain their precious habitats. We continue to ask customers to use water wisely.”
The company says its goal is to reduce water leakage by 15% by 2025 and 40% by 2040.