A view from Anglian Water on why the Water Industry is interested in the catchment based approach

1. Can CaBA work with
the water industry?
Lu Gilfoyle
Anglian Water
Catchment
Based Approach
Partnerships f or Action

2. Can CaBA work with the Water
Industry?
Clive Harward & Lu Gilfoyle, Anglian Water

3. Why the water industry is
interested in a catchment based
approach
• Our raw product
• A changing world
–
–
–
–
Climate change
Growth
Customer expectations
Economic pressures
• Science & Technology
• Legislative & Policy change
• Non treatable substances

4. Chemical Threat
Metals and solvents from industry,
pesticides and chemicals from
agriculture are generally toxic to
aquatic life and may bio accumulate
in the human food chain. Their
removal places additional challenges
on the treatment process
Surface Water
(oceans, rivers & lakes)
Susceptible to contamination from
run off from the land and highways
drains and sewage discharges
Microbiological Threat
Bacteria, viruses and protozoa
present in the water can cause
illness. Their effective removal
through water treatment is
expensive but vital
Ground Water
(aquifers)
Susceptible to contamination by
pesticides and harmful substances
such as fuel seeping through soil
Oxygen depletion
Nutrient Threat
Nutrients from sewage discharges,
soil run-off and fertiliser use can
cause excessive weed growth and
algal blooms. These can be harmful
to aquatic life and some also release
toxins
Biodegradable contamination results
in an increased population of
microbes that use up the oxygen
and cause damage to wildlife
Particulates
Anaerobic conditions
Some pollutants settle and form silt
in water bodies. The build up can be
harmful to aquatic life but may also
shelter harmful bacteria and viruses
Once the oxygen is low, anaerobic
microorganisms flourish. Many
produce harmful toxins such as
ammonia

5. The ‘traditional approach’ in the
water industry

6. Recognition of the need to
change
• Traditional solutions are unlikely to continue to
be sustainable in the long term
• Many of the issues we face are highly complex
and need a collaborative approach to solve
them
• There is greater awareness of the need to
change by customers, stakeholders and
regulators

7. So what has changed …
• Water Framework Directive (2003)
– Directives: Bathing Water, Drinking Water, Shellfish
Water, Urban Waste Water, IPPC, Pesticides,
Nitrates, Groundwater, Surface Water, Dangerous
Substances and Fish Water.
• Objectives;
– No deterioration
– Good status by 2027
• Status = (chemical + ecological status) /
ecological potential
• High, good, moderate, poor & bad status

8. WFD Article 7
Article 7 requires Member States to:
• ensure the necessary protection of water
bodies identified for drinking water
abstraction with the aim of avoiding
deterioration in their quality in order to reduce
the level of treatment .

9. Anglian Water –
CaBA commitment
• Hosted pilot – River Wissey
– Full time Project Officer
– Data and technical support
– Maintain to 2015
• Co-host with Rivers Trust – Cam and Ely
Ouse Management Catchment

10. The benefits of a CaBA approach
• Deliver customer expectations more
sustainably and efficiently
• Maximise resource efficiency
• Prevent rather than cure – tackle the root cause
• Collaborative rather than confrontational
approach
• Maximise synergies, economic and amenity
benefits
• Meet UK legal obligations
However requires trust and a fair allocation of risk

11. Partnership working case study
• Blockages caused by “unflushables” &
FOG
• Understand customer behaviours and
attitudes towards disposal
• Targeted messages and delivery
• 83% reduction in blockages
• Community awareness and positive
attitude to waste disposal
• 41% of people surveyed had „changed
their behaviours‟
• Increased understanding that blockages
are a shared responsibility