0

& AccessRecreation,

Conservation,

Report 2003

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Conservation, Recreation and AccessReport 2002-2003Foreword

The purpose of this report is to provide information about our activities in thefields of conservation, recreation and access within the Company’s area ofsupply.

We endorse the aims of the Code of Practice on Conservation, Recreation and

Access and encourage the use of our sites for pursuits which are suitable and where

operational considerations allow. This report highlights the activities carried out

during the last year. In particular, we are extremely pleased with the success of our

Education Centre at Bough Beech.

I hope you will find reading this both interesting and informative.

Phil Holder

Managing Director

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Conservation, Recreation and AccessReport for Year Ending March 2003Introduction

This report aims to inform customers of the resources and pursuits availableto them on the lands presently owned or partially maintained by the Company.

A summary of the nature and extent of the Company’s landholdings can be found on

page 9 of this report. No land used for recreational purposes was sold by the

Company during the year.

The Company’s land has been used by a variety of different interest groups from the

community, for recreational and environmental purposes. There have also been

environmental initiatives on non-Company sites.

Area of Supply

Sutton and East Surrey Water supplies a population of approximately 641,000 within

an area of 834 square kilometres in the London Boroughs of Sutton, Merton and

Croydon and in East Surrey and West Kent. Across the northern area of supply lies

the North Downs, a range of chalk hills, large areas of which are designated as

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Chalk is the most important aquifer in this part

of the country and supplied all the water the Company needed until the 1950s with

the exception of small greensand sources at Westwood and Paines Hill which

formerly belonged to the Limpsfield and Oxted Water Company who merged with

East Surrey Water in 1930.

The greensand ridge lies a few miles south of the North Downs and runs west to

east from Dorking to Limpsfield Chart. The greensand is now an important water

bearing strata providing the Company with a valuable resource.

Boreholes in the chalk and greensand provide 85% of the Company’s water, the

remainder coming from a reservoir at Bough Beech which is fed by pumping from the

River Eden.

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Most of the Company’s land is unsuitable for conservation, recreation and access

being urban sites, agricultural land let for grazing or other agricultural use, and sites

in areas of outstanding natural beauty, too small in themselves to be of use, which

are maintained to blend in with their natural background.

Company Sites with Amenity Value

Bough Beech reservoir has a nature reserve managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust,

sailing run by the Bough Beech Sailing Club, and fishing organised by Honeycroft

(BBR).

Chiddingstone river intake allows fishing along a stretch of the River Eden and is let

to the South Norwood Angling Club.

North Looe reservoir has land used by the Nonsuch Bowmen, an archery club, who

maintain a full programme of meetings.

Fetcham Pond which is situated beside a public footpath is maintained as a visual

amenity, and the land nearby is let to the Surrey Society of Model Engineers for a

model railway track.

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Non-Company Sites

Carshalton Ponds has been provided with a new concrete base, laid and maintained

by the Company. It is a condition of the Company’s abstraction licence for The Oaks

borehole that it augments flows into the ponds, as necessary, by recycling water

from the River Wandle by means of a pumping station at Goat Bridge.

A similar maintenance arrangement exists at Bourne Hall Lake in Ewell, where the

lake is linked to the Company’s licence to abstract from a borehole at Nonsuch Park.

Both these sites underwent major refurbishment during 1996/7, detailed articles

appeared in the report for that year.

Bough Beech Reservoir andChiddingstone River IntakeThe Nature Reserve and Centre

The nature reserve occupies about 18 hectares at the northern end of Bough Beech

Reservoir. The whole of the reserve can be seen from the causeway at Winkhurst

Green, and it continues to be a very popular spot for bird watching. The Bough

Beech Centre is a carefully converted 19th Century oast house adjacent to the

reserve and its informative displays attract thousands of visitors a year. The

surrounding farmland, ponds, streams, woods and orchards set the scene for a

peaceful and most enjoyable countryside experience.

The facilities include toilets, a picn

regarding the nature reserve or the

detailed inside the back cover.

The Company has worked closely w

children. The morning is spent at

afternoon visit is at the reservoir and

The Centre’s displays include; details of thereservoir, its construction and present dayworking; information on hop growing and howthe oast house was used in the past; how thenature reserve provides habitats for so manyresident and visiting birds; and details of themany plants and animals which thrive along thenature trail.The Centre, which is run totally by volunteersfrom the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT), is open tothe public from April to October on Wednesdays,Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondaysfrom 11 am to 4.30 pm.

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ic barn and a small shop, for further details

work carried out by the KWT their address is

ith the KWT and now offer a dual visit for school

the nature reserve and Oast House and the

water treatment works.

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School visits can be arranged for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays by

pre-booking through the Company’s educational co-ordinator Karen Mawdesly. A

wide variety of activities including pond dipping and bird watching can be arranged.

For further details please send for an Education Services Pack from KarenMawdesly whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Sailing

Sailing on the reservoir is run by the Bough Beech Sailing Club which leases from

the Company a clubhouse with facilities, including showers and changing rooms.

The main clubroom is on the upper floor and has French windows opening onto a

large balcony with views overlooking the reservoir.

The club is a recognised Royal Yachting Association teaching establishment for

levels 1 to 5 of the dinghy sailing certificate and up to level 3 for powerboat/rescue

coxswain courses.

Further information can be obtained from the membership secretary whoseaddress is detailed inside the back cover.

The sailing programme centres around

racing for various classes and a handicap

fleet on Sundays, with trophies being

awarded for success in seasonal series.

For classes with a big enough turnout open

meetings are held giving an opportunity for

helms to sail against visitors on their own

water. Saturdays are used mainly for

cruising and tuition with opportunities for

training activities for juniors or schools to

engage in team racing and tactics.

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Fishing

Further information can be obtained from Ken Crow whose address is detailedinside the back cover.

Coarse fishing along the Company's stretch of the River Eden is let to South

Norwood Angling Club and further information can be obtained from the Honorary

Secretary whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Horse Riding

South Eastern Toll Rides are not, for the time being, using the route allowed them

near the oast house, due to problems with other parts of their circuit. We look

forward to seeing them back.

Fishing on the reservoir is organised by

Honeycroft (BBR), which is run by Ken

Crow who has long experience of running

fisheries. Pike fishing took place, as

usual, in October. Coarse fishing was

undertaken for the rest of the year and

the carp fishing is improving year on year.

The pike fishing continues to improve and

Bough Beech is now recognised as being

the top reservoir in the country for pike.

During the winter season 45 pike were

caught weighing over twenty pounds.

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Facilities for the Disabled

Liaison

The Conservation Consultative Committee met on 18 September 2002. Most of the

time has been spent maintaining the nature reserve and its varied habitats in

accordance with well established policies.

The Recreation Consultative Committee which represents all the interests using the

reservoir area, together with both Sundridge and Chiddingstone Parish Councils and

Sevenoaks District Council, met on 18 September 2002.

The Company owns a ‘wheelyboat’ foruse on Bough Beech reservoir. Thisis a boat designed by theHandicapped Anglers Trust which canaccommodate two people in theirwheelchairs and one other person.Although designed for use by anglersit may be used for bird-watching,photography or just cruising. It maybe used by contacting Honeycroft(BBR) or the Company - see contactnames and addresses detailed insidethe back cover.

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A R E A H e c t a r e s

R E D H I L L H Q O f f i c e a n d D e p o t T Q 2 8 1 5 1 2 1 . 7 3 N o n e

B O U G H B E E C H R e s e r v o i r a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 4 4 9 4 7 3 2 1 4 . 6 7 ( i n c 1 1 6 . 2 4 H a o f W a t e r ) G B , S L A

C H I D D I N G S T O N E R i v e r I n t a k e T Q 4 9 5 4 6 4 1 1 . 6 6 G B , S L A

L E A T H E R H E A D B o r e h o l e s a n d P u m p i n g S t a t i o n T Q 1 6 2 5 6 3 0 . 2 5 N o n e

F E T C H A M S p r i n g s a n d B o r e h o l e s T Q 1 5 7 5 6 2 2 1 . 4 1 G B , S N C I

E L M E R A N D Y O U N G S T R E E T B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 1 5 9 5 5 7 9 . 1 4 G B

D O R K I N G B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 1 6 0 4 9 6 3 . 0 3 G B

K E N L E Y , P U R L E Y , A N D S M I T H A M B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 3 2 7 6 0 0

( K e n l e y ) 4 . 4 2 N o n e

C H E A M B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 2 4 7 6 4 1 2 . 9 7 N o n e

W O O D M A N S T E R N E B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 2 7 8 5 8 8 1 . 3 4 N o n e

U R B A N S I T E S 7 s i t e s – s e r v i c e w a t e r r e s e r v o i r s , t r e a t m e n t w o r k s , b o r e h o l e s V a r i o u s 3 . 9 7 N o n e

C H A L K H I L L S I T E S 2 5 s i t e s – s e r v i c e r e s e r v o i r s , w a t e r t o w e r s a n d b o o s t e r p u m p i n g s t a t i o n s V a r i o u s 2 9 . 1 9 A O N B ( 1 1 ) G B ( 2 1 )

S S S I ( s e e n o t e )

G O D S T O N E B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 3 5 3 5 2 2 3 . 9 5 G B

W E S T W O O D B o r e h o l e s a n d T r e a t m e n t W o r k s T Q 4 2 5 5 4 2 1 . 5 6 A O N B , B G

P A I N E S H I L L S p r i n g s a n d P u m p i n g S t a t i o n T Q 4 1 4 5 1 6 7 . 4 1 G B

G R E E N S A N D S I T E S 1 1 B o r e h o l s S i t e s a n d 2 S e r v i c e W a t e r R e s e r v o i r s V a r i o u s 7 . 7 8 A O N B ( 5 ) , G B ( 1 2 )

C O L D H A R B O U R S e r v i c e W a t e r R e s e r v o i r T Q 1 5 3 4 4 0 0 . 0 4 S c h . M . ( A n s t i e b u r y C a m p ) , A O N B , G B

D R Y H I L L S e r v i c e W a t e r R e s e r v o i r T Q 4 3 1 4 1 7 0 . 7 9 S c h . M . , G B

W E A L D S I T E S 7 s i t e s – s e r v i c e w a t e r r e s e r v o i r s , b o o s t e r p u m p i n g s t a t i o n , w a t e r t o w e r V a r i o u s 7 . 0 7 G B ( A l l )

S I T E P U R P O S E L O C A T I O N E N V I R O N M E N T D E S I G N A T I O N

Environmental GB Green Belt SNCI Site of Nature Conservation ImportanceDesignations: SLA Special Landscape Area AONB Area of Outstanding National Beauty

SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest Sch.M. Scheduled Monument

Note: The Chalk Hill Sites include a pumping station at Headley. The Company owns about twohectares of woodland adjoining the pumping station situated at the eastern edge of a SSSI whichextends for 1000 hectares and is known as the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment.

Details of Company Holdings

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Other Activities

Recreation

The Nonsuch Bowmen

At North Looe, above Priest Hill Fields on the Reigate Road side, is a reservoir site.

Here an archery club, The Nonsuch Bowmen, shoots on Wednesday evenings and

weekends during the spring, summer and autumn. Some members shoot there in the

winter too.

The Club was formed in 1954 and used to shoot near Nonsuch Park - hence its

name. In 1975 it moved to its present range through permission from the Company.

The bow most in use today is the recurve bow, the type shot at the Olympic Games.

Another sort of bow is the compound as used by the "Rambo" character in films.

Both are more efficient than the longbow of historic fame. Club members using each

type of bow have represented Surrey at archery tournaments.

The Club is mainly for target archery. This means it shoots at North Looe, and at

outside tournaments, in an open field at targets set at measured distances between

30 metres and 100 yards. The Club shoots indoors in the winter using an archery

shop's purpose-built range. Some of the archers enjoy field archery at other venues

during the winter. This type of shooting often takes place in woods and can involve

estimating distances to the targets.

The Nonsuch Bowmen welcome new members and run "Beginners Courses" every

spring starting mid-April. All equipment is provided. After the course it can be hired

from the Club for a nominal charge.

Further information can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary whose nameand address is detailed inside the back cover.

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The Surrey Society of Model Engineers

A piece of land at Fetcham Springs is leased to the Surrey Society of Model

Engineers, where they have built model railways tracks in four gauges from 2½” to

7¼”, the largest for locomotives capable of hauling passengers. They have a full

programme of meetings and further information can be obtained from their Honorary

Secretary whose name and address is detailed inside the back cover.

During the year the society has continued a number of improvements on the site in

agreement with the Company. These include improving clubhouse facilities, toilets

and track.

Conservation

Sutton and East Surrey Water’s business is based on respect for the environment.

The Company is fully aware of its responsibilities and have identified three main

areas of concern - use of energy, leakage and communications. Energy

consumption and water abstraction rates have been reduced by control of leakage

and bursts. Our communication is continually monitored to ensure that it is

environmentally friendly and effective. In the last year the Company has been

involved in a number of conservation projects with other local agencies.

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At the same time the Company continued with its existing commitments to

conservation at its various sites and through its corporate membership of the Kent

and Surrey Wildlife Trusts.

A customer magazine is issued twice yearly to all customers with information on all

key Company activities. We also have a website on the Internet which has been

visited 49,007 times during the year.

E-Billing ServiceSutton and East Surrey Water (www.waterplc.com) was the first utility company in

the UK to give its customers the opportunity of being billed and accessing all aspects

of their account details via the Internet.

Each customer who wants to use the new service is given a Personal Identification

Number, which is used in conjunction with an account number to gain access to the

online service. From this secure area of the website the customer can see all details

of their current and previous accounts.

In March 2000 the Company went live with the e-billing service. Customers are able

to log in to the Sutton and East Surrey Water website to view and pay their latest bill.

The facility also allows customers to change the payment method, enter meter

readings and generally communicate with the company.

A particular advantage for customers is that they can obtain information about their

accounts or anything else to do with Sutton and East Surrey Water at their

convenience at any time of day. All the information we provide to customers is now

on our website. From the environmental point of view it will also save a lot of paper

and energy.

The number of e-billing customers is currently 2406.

Electronic version of the Conservation, Access and Recreation (CAR) Report

Due to the increasing number of requests of the CAR report via e:mail the report is

now produced on our website. Anyone wishing to read or download the report will be

able to do so via the website. If requests are received for a hard copy then we will

print this off ourselves and send via the post. This initiative will reduce the amount of

paper and energy used in the traditional method of printing brochures.

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Water Conservation

In the last year a large effort has been made to promote water efficiency by a

number of ongoing initiatives.

! Our leakage is still one of the lowest in the country with the effect that theamount of water distributed now is the same as in the mid 1970’s eventhough the population supplied over the last twenty-eight years has risenby 62,000 from 580,000 to 642,000. Work continues to reduce this level evenlower.

Average D

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

1970

/71

1972

/73

1974

/75

1976

/77

1978

/79

1980

/81

1982

/83

1984

/85

1986

/87

1988

/89

Year

Mld

istribution Input

90/9

1

92/9

3

94/9

5

96/9

7

98/9

9

00/0

1

02/0

3

19 19 19 19 19 20 20

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• A significant part of the customer magazine and the web site is devoted towater conservation.

• The Bough Beech Education Centre features many aspects of waterconservation.

• Our head office has waterless urinals and recycles water from the roof fortoilet flushing.

• Water self-audit packs are actively promoted and issued.• Since April 1998 10,000 meters have been installed for customers who use

a sprinkler or have a swimming pool. It is envisaged that that this type ofmetering will lead to a reduction in water consumption particularly duringthe summer months. Customers also have the choice to have a meter fittedfree of charge.

• Water saving plants, a jointventure with the LondonBorough of Sutton andendorsed by the EnvironmentAgency, saw Sutton HighStreet planters filled withdrought tolerant plants. Asimilar scheme has beencarried out in Manor Park,Sutton.

• Leaflets on water efficiencyhave been produced.

• The stand at the Sutton Showhad a strong water con-servation theme.

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Fetcham Pond

Continues to be maintained with the help and advice of a member of the

Leatherhead and District Countryside Protection Society. In this area two

conservation projects have been previously undertaken.

The first is a wildflower project on the land surrounding part of the pond. In the past

the grass was cut on a regular basis, after discussions with a local environmentalist it

was agreed to reduce the frequency of cuts to twice per year to allow wildflowers to

establish themselves.

The second was a hedgerow planting project on Company land along the boundary

of the above site. This was carried out by the Fetcham Residents Association with

support from the Lower Mole Countryside Management Project, Sutton and East

Surrey Water and the Company’s tenant farmer. The hedgerow will increase the

wildlife habitat and make the area more attractive. Also a further tree planting

scheme took place around the perimeter of the mill pond using native trees.

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ResearchThe Department of Biosphere Sciences of King’s College, London use Bough Beech

reservoir and intake lagoon for study and research.

EnvironmentalRecycling

At Bough Beech Water Treatment Works the Company looked for an

environmentally better option of disposing the sludge produced to licensed landfill.

ADAS conducted grow trials and the sludge was shown to provide benefits to certain

types of crops. The sludge is now spread onto farm crops locally to Bough Beech.

We are one of the few water companies that soften the water that is supplied to

customers. As a result of the treatment process a waste product is produced that

consists of grains of sand which are coated in calcium hardness, known as ‘softening

beads’ they resemble small ( 1 to 2 mm ) white pearls. Rather than dispose to landfill

these softening beads are recycled into other products such as infill material for

shower trays.

Also office waste paper, plastic cups from vending machines and printer cartridges

are recycled.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)We have increased the numbers of our fleet of vehicles to run on LPG which is

environmentally cleaner than petrol.

CommunityBeing part of the local community Sutton and East Surrey Water believe that it

should actively participate within it. During the year several local charitable causes

and cultural events were supported by the Company.

Sutton and East Surrey Water continues to seek close relations with its customers

and with local interest and amenity groups. In particular visits are arranged to water

treatment works and speakers are provided for clubs and societies. Eight talks were

given during the year, this number excludes schools.

Schools

The Bough Beech Education CentreFollowing on from the success of our water b

process with teachers, an education centre

reservoir site at Bough Beech. It provides a m

Educational Co-ordinator and teachers to stim

learning about water, conservation and the en

is our aim to receive a visit from one class at

year.

Everything that has been included in the cen

teachers to ensure it meets curriculum requi

“Flo and Squirt” have been introduced to hold

explain the wonders of water. “Flo and Squirt”

tours which are run by the Company’s Educatio

Sutton and East Surrey Water has

actively encouraged schools to

visit its local water treatment

works. We have provided Water

Boxes ( a kit of 21 water related

experiments ) to every junior

school in our area, and the water

work book ‘ The Wonderful World

Of Water ‘ is provided every year.

This year 2,423 children visited

our works and talks were given to

7,639 children at their schools and

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ox initiative, and after a consultation

was created at the Company’s only

odern environment for the Company’s

ulate the school children and make

vironment an enjoyable experience. It

all the schools in our area once per

tre followed careful consultation with

rements. Friendly cartoon characters

the interest of young minds and help

educational packs are offered with all

nal Co-ordinator Karen Mawdesly.

other organisations.

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The centre was formally opened by Alan Meale MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary

of State for the DETR, on the 8th July 1999.

Richard J Rap

Supply Manager

At the heart of the our Bough Beech

works, a well-equipped educational room

enables our staff to explain facts using

such aids as a fixed projector unit ( which

is able to use video or computer inputs ),

interchangeable display units and water

volume comparison models.

An up-to-date scale model of the site and

a wall-mounted chase-lighting mimic of the

water treatment process are also included

to provide further visual appeal for young

visitors.

An outdoor area allows space for practical

experimentation with water, and an

attractive picnic area is surrounded by

drought-resistant plants.

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Directory

Sutton and East Surrey Water - contact Richard Rap, Supply Manager, address

and telephone number on the following page.

School Visits - Educational Co-ordinatorKaren Mawdesly, 127, Banstead Road South, Sutton SM2 5LJ. Tel: 0208 642 2389

Wildlife TrustsKent Wildlife Trust, Tyland Barn, Sandling, Kent, ME14 3BD. Tel: 01622 662012.

Surrey Wildlife Trust, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, GU24 0JN. Tel: 01483 488055.

FishingFishing Management (coarse fishing, carp and pike fishing).

Ken Crow, Honeycroft ( BBR ), Three Elm Lane, Golden Green, Tonbridge, Kent,

TN11 0BS. Tel: 01732 851544

South Norwood Angling Club (coarse fishing on the river Eden).

Roger Chambers, Hon. Secretary, 4 Cordrey Gardens, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2SP.

Tel: 020 8668 1798

SailingBough Beech Sailing Club. Peter Johnson, Membership Secretary, Hollow Oak,

Mount Pleasant Road, Weald, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6QD. Tel: 01732 463258.

HobbiesSurrey Society of Model Engineers. R G Winder, Hon. Secretary, Overdale End,

Ashtead, Surrey. Tel: 01372 277277, Fax: 01372 275203.

Nonsuch Bowmen. John Webb, Hon. Secretary, 15 Langton Avenue, Ewell,

Epsom, KT17 1LD.

Tel: 01372 815444

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Sutton and East Surrey Water PLCRegistered Office: London Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1LJ

Tel: 01737 772000 Fax: 01737 766807Website www.waterplc.com

Richard Rap e:mail address : richardr@waterplc.com

Note: Many of the environmental pictures produced with the kind

permission of Jeremy Early