Catchment Based Approach Paul Henbrey Wastewater Strategy Manager

Agenda

•  Introduction to United Utilities

•  United Utilities’ perspective on the Catchment Based Approach

•  Our Catchment Wise Initiative Ø  West Cumbria pilot project

•  Supporting the Catchment Based Approach Ø  Establishment of host partnerships Ø  Catchment interventions Ø  Publicity campaigns

•  Next Steps

Catchment Based Approach What does it offer?

Innovation • Thinking differently, working differently

Partnerships • The opportunity to collaborate and work with others

Ownership • Owning the problem we all have a part to play

Sharing • Sharing of ideas, evidence and information

Priorities • What are the priorities at a local and catchment level?

Delivery • Efficient delivery of solutions

Catchment Based Approach What do we need to work on?

Concerns  

Funding  

Trust

Benefits

Regulation Uncertainty

Inconsistency

Partnership capacity

- Funding Streams - Matched Funding

- How do we measure success – metrics? - What does good look like?

- What is the role of the EA – partner, facilitator or enforcer?

- Hosts have the appropriate skills? - Hosts understand the role of the water companies?

- We’re working with 11 different hosts - Ensure good practice is shared - But allow each group to be innovative

- Funding and role of partnerships hosts going forwards?

- Open approach - Data sharing and access to resources - Ensure all partners play their role and commit to their fair share

United Utilities’ Catchment Wise

•  Historically, water quality improvements have been achieved by enhancements to treatment works and sewer overflows but: Ø  Conventional “end of pipe” solutions are expensive to

build and operate Ø  Increasingly unsustainable, having a large carbon footprint

•  United Utilities are moving towards a more holistic and inclusive catchment approach, ‘Catchment Wise’

•  We recognise the need to work collaboratively with other stakeholders to achieve overall environmental outcomes

•  Catchment Wise is aligned to our AMP6 customer promises, Ø  ‘Cleaner bathing waters and beaches’ Ø  ‘Land, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and coastal waters are

protected.

Catchment Wise Strategy Levels of partnership working within United Utilities

Overarching Catchment Wise Strategy

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

•  Local level engagement with stakeholders •  Support environmental groups via attendance at meetings or provision of guidance and expert

opinion as requested. •  Support of environmental improvements where identified in the UU business plan

•  Proactive engagement with stakeholders •  Administration support such as printing, mailing, use of UUW corporate systems or data

sharing •  Potential redirection of project scope to support environmental improvements

Pilot Project in the Ellen sub-Catchment to tackle Rural

Diffuse Pollution

Catchment Schemes derived from the NEP

Pilot Catchment Based Approach to manage Priority

Hazardous Substances

Turning Tides Strategic Flagship Scheme to tackle a high-profile Issue

Multi-partner Approach to deliver environmental and social benefits

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United Utilities’ Catchment Wise Pilot

•  In September we started a two-year Catchment Wise pilot in the Ellen sub-Catchment, West Cumbria

•  Six of our wastewater treatment works in the area have been identified as requiring investment for Phosphorus removal

•  We’re funding a dedicated project co-ordinator who will work with farmers, landowners, local communities and organisations to tackle agricultural diffuse pollution

•  The project aims to achieve: Ø  Sustained reduction in catchment sources of

phosphate and move towards ‘Good Status’ under WFD

Ø  Reduce bacteriological inputs from catchment sources to Bathing Waters in Allonby Bay

Ø  Defer or de-scope capital investment at our assets.

The partnership…

Supporting the Catchment Based Approach

•  United Utilities are actively supporting environmental improvement in the north west

•  We’re undertaking a number of partnership catchment based projects under the Catchment Wise Programme and: Ø  Supporting Catchment Hosts to establish the partnerships Ø  Supporting hosts in the delivery of the plan Ø  Developing a suite of awareness and engagement campaigns

•  Support includes: Ø  Direct financial support Ø  Representation on steering groups Ø  Resources, data and modelling etc…

Through our customer promise to protect and enhance the

environment we’ve said we’ll play our part in a cleaner and greener

North West

United Utilities’ match funding

Seed Fund

•  Match DEFRA Catchment Partnership seed funding

•  We’re providing funding to 11 hosts across 16 catchments in the north west

•  This will support establishment of the partnerships to bring together the right partners and develop the evidence base and management plan for each catchment.

Interventions Fund

•  We’re providing funding to support catchment based interventions across the north west

•  Funding will focus on interventions benefitting priority water bodies and water quality:

Ø  Managing surface water and promoting SUDs

Ø  Identifying and managing urban diffuse pollution

Ø  Managing pollutants at source.

Publicity Fund

•  Plans to develop a suite of publicity campaigns in partnership with others

•  Build on success of engagement and education campaigns tackling customer led issues e.g. ‘Think before you flush’

•  Target Issues including: Ø  Sewer misconnections Ø  Septic tank maintenance Ø  Chemicals and priority

hazardous substances source control.

Next steps

•  Continue developing our Catchment Wise initiative - we would welcome your feedback and input

•  Align Catchment Wise to other United Utilities initiatives i.e. SCaMP and flooding partnerships

•  Develop the qualifying criteria and prioritisation process for UU match funding

•  Work with the Environment Agency and others to identify further partnership opportunities

•  Continue engaging with the Catchment Partnership Hosts.

For further information contact by email: paul.henbrey@uuplc.co.uk or catchmentwise@uuplc.co.uk