Climate change, agricultural pollution, and non-agricultural diffuse water pollution pose key challenges to the sustainability of water and wastewater services in the UK. Climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods, affecting infrastructure and operations. Agricultural runoff contributes nitrates and pesticides that pollute water sources. Non-agricultural diffuse pollution involves chemicals from buildings, consumer products, and businesses that contaminate water when they enter sewer systems. Addressing these issues is vital for maintaining affordable, high quality drinking water now and in the future.

1. Key Challenges to the
Sustainability of Water and
Wastewater Service Provision in
the UK.

2. Sustain: to continue without
lessening, to nourish, to allow to
flourish.

3. Sustainable Development.

4. Each Day within UK:
16 billion litres water is collected, treated
and supplied.
10 billion litres wastewater is collected
and treated, returning it safely to the
environment.

5. Key Challenges…

6. Selected Key Challenge 1

7. Climate Change!

8. “Over the last three years we have had
some of the hottest, wettest and driest
seasons on record instead of our usual kind
and gentle climate.”

9. Extreme weather events,
droughts, storms and floods
will become more common
and more intense.

10. “Climate change will impact every
aspect of water services, from
infrastructure to
operations to demand to finances.”

11. Policies…
• Climate Change Bill.
• Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate
Change (the IPCC)

12. The Water
Industry’s
contribution to
Climate
Change…

14. • The water industry is directly responsible
for around 4 million tons of CO2 every
year. ~ ½ % of UK total emissions.
• Rising gradually year on year.

15. The hot water we use at home in baths, showers,
washing machines and dishwashers (not including
central heating) emits about 30 million tons of
carbon dioxide per year. That’s over 5% of the
UK’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions.

16. “We’re getting more efficient at
abstracting, treating and supplying
water and wastewater services.
However, population and
consumption growth along with
increased standards are driving
energy use up.”

17. Reservoirs will be impacted in terms
not just of quantity, but operation,
quality and
structure.

18. Assets on the coast and in flood plains
will be at more risk from floods, storm
damage, coastal erosion and rises in
sea level.

19. Existing sewerage systems were
not designed to cope with climate
change.
Rainfall will be more intense and
likely to overwhelm parts of the
network and cause local flooding.

20. The
Environment Agency estimates the costs of
storm water management for England and
Wales could be up to £20billion in the next
25 years.

21. In the South and South East
drought is the most important issue
facing many water companies.
Ashtead, England, August 12, 2006.

22. Selected Key Challenge 2

23. Agricultural Pollution.

24. Farming uses ~ 75% of UK land.
Agriculture contributes about 7% of
total UK CO2 emissions.

25. Agricultural Pollution.
• Diffuse - Artificial fertilizer residues,
insecticides, herbicides, pesticides and
farmyard waste.
• Point Source - Milk spillage, silage liquor,
cattle and pig slurry.
• High nitrate concentrations are found in
groundwater and may reach the EU
Directive limit of 50mg/litre.

26. “Eutrophication" reduces oxygen in the water,
de-creases plant and animal species and
worsens water quality.
The effects of possibly agricultural runoff in the Danube can be seen in this SeaWiFS
image as the river empties into the Black Sea at the bottom of this image. (NASA).

27. DEFRA’s Catchment Sensitive
Farming Initiative stresses the need
for reduction of Pollution from
Agriculture – Nitrates and Pesticides.

28. EU countries are obliged by law to meet the
WFD (Water Framework Directive)
objectives including achieving "good
environmental status in all water bodies"
by 2015.

29. The European Environment Agency
says that nitrate drinking water limit
values are exceeded in around one-third
of all the groundwater bodies for which
they have information.
In many areas, levels are particularly
high, with drinking water sources having
to be abandoned or subject to expensive
treatment.
The same is true with pesticides.

30. “Currently the Water Framework
Directive gives little incentive to
reduce pollution from pesticides.”

31. • MEFRA - The Ministry of Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs produced a "Code of Good
Agricultural Practice” for farmers giving
detailed advice on the treating, storing and
applying of animal livestock waste, disposal of
dirty water, fertilizers, fuel oil, sheep dip,
pesticides, nitrates and disposal of animal
carcasses.
• Local farmers all have to produce a Farm
Waste Management Plan to comply with
pollution control regulations.

32. Selected Key Challenge 3

33. Non Agricultural Diffuse Water
Pollution (NADWuP).

34. What is NADWuP?
• Leaching from building materials e.g. Lead, plastic,
copper and galvanised iron.
• Chemicals we put down the drain or through
washing clothes e.g. Detergents, cleaners, personal
care products and even medicines.
• Materials that businesses make and use – from fast
food to heavy industry.
• Run-off from offices, shops, roads, car parks, cars.
• Washout of air pollution on to land and water e.g.
mercury from crematoria.

35. Smoke, Pollution and Saharan Dust off Northern Europe (NASA).

36. “Currently no legislation controlling
either household chemicals that pollute
the environment or many products and
processes used by business.”
“Chemicals find their way into sewers and in
some cases treatment works are not
designed to cope.”

37. BUILDING
Building sites cause about 625
water pollution incidences a day.

38. “Diffuse pollution can be more serious than
point source pollution, because it is harder
to prevent and it is more difficult to identify
the source.”
“People causing diffuse pollution may be
unaware that they are causing a problem.”

39. The Environment Agency says
Companies must take preventative
measures against pollution.

40. • “It’s costly and harms the environment, therefore
a challenge to a sustainable water supply.”
• “It’s a challenge to our efforts to reduce our
carbon footprint as an industry and as a society.”
• “It’s a challenge to one living planet – because
it’s damaging a finite resource.”
Comments made by Water UK Chief Executive Pamela Taylor
DIFFUSE WATER POLLUTION…

41. “The worse the pollution, the higher the
cost of removing it to produce clean
drinking water. What is most worrying is
that the pollution and the potential costs
are continuing to rise.”

42. The water industry contributes 3% of
CO2 equivalent because of high
energy needed for end-of-pipe
treatment.

43. Some Solutions:
• Tackle “Point Source Pollution”.
• Enforce “Polluters Pay” strategy e.g. Water
Act 2003 & within society e.g. Anglers
Conservation Association.
• Educate the Public.

45. Key Challenges…

47. Agricultural Pollution.

48. Non Agricultural Diffuse Water
Pollution (NADWUP).

49. Other Challenges:
• Security of Supply.
• Keeping Up Standards of Water Quality.
• Maintenance and Repair.
• Influences of Population Growth.
• Minimising Energy and Water Use.
• Increasing Public Awareness of Water Issues.
• Keeping Affordability.
• Raising Awareness of Health Benefits of Water.
• Strengthening Financial Investment.

50. Key Challenges as recognised by
Water UK.
• To achieve management of water resources that
serves society and benefits the environment at
reasonable cost.
• To realise the potential public health benefit of
low cost, high quality drinking water by
improving access, awareness and perception.
• To design future water regulation that is better at
promoting customer service, environmental
protection and economic development.

51. “The carrying
capacity of the
natural environment
really does have its
limits...!”

52. Thankyou for listening.

53. References:
www.veoliawater.com/.../diagrams/519.htm
http://www.ciria.org.uk/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/younessi/1090644100/
http://www.mccallie.org/science/mlancast/env_science/Field_and_Lab_Work/Student_Projects/zmjett/bioaccum.htm
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/problems/diffuse-pollution.php
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/1060769.stm
http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2006/elver-fisherman-banned-06-09-06.shtml
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68948682@N00/213353342/
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/photos/pollutioncoalplantthailand
www.undp-drp.org/drp/en/news_newsroom_story4_...
dieoff.org/page13.htm
www.bized.co.uk
www.flickr.com
veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov
news.bbc.co.uk