Affinity Water has accelerated the start date for strategic transfer options to develop sufficient new water resources to meet demand in the regions it serves.

Details of its proposed plans, which include the South East Strategic Reservoir (SESR) and the Grand Union Canal Transfer (GUC Transfer) to bring water into the Central Region are set out in its Final Water Resources Management Plan (FWRMP) which was submitted to the Secretary of State at Defra on 7 June.

The FWRMP takes into account responses to its recent consultation on its revised draft Water Resources Management Plan (rdWRMP19) which ran from 1 March to 26 April 2019.

Commenting on its final Water Resources Management Plan, the water company said there was “strong and consistent support from customers for the options proposed” and that regulators were supportive of the work done on the Plan. The utility said the regulators had also emphasised the importance of on-going studies on strategic options in collaboration with other water companies.

In response to representations from the Environment Agency and some local authorities to address water demand arising from Greater London Authority (GLA) growth, Affinity has now included a “high growth” scenario in its plans.

The utility had originally said it would rely on drought orders and permits for a short period of time and would accelerate development of its first strategic option to 2035 and require development of a third strategic supply option within the 2080 time horizon.

Under the higher growth scenarios, Affinity will now rely on some of the less environmentally damaging drought permits and accelerate delivery of its first supply option to 2032. The only option capable of being delivered by 2032 has been identified as the Greater Union Canal transfer. The transfer of water via the GUC which could provide an additional 50 million litres of water per day to customers either in the longer term or as an alternative to the SESR development.

The new SESR reservoir in Oxfordshire would provide an extra 100 million litres of water per day by the late 2030s. Alongside this scheme the utility will also work on regional strategic transfer routes of water from the River Thames to move this into its area for treatment and supply.

The second strategic option will be needed by 2042, while a third option will still be required within a 2080 time horizon.

The FWRMP also sets out an alternative strategic transfer solution from South Lincolnshire that could provide up to 100 million litres of water per day to customers if required in the longer term.

In response to representation from the Enviroment Agency and Ofwat , Affinity has now specifically included a separate River Thames to Affinity treatment and transfer option, where the abstraction is supported by a trade with Thames Water, Severn Trent or United Utilities. This could be via the Severn Thames Transfer, or be enabled by effluent re-use development from Thames Water.

The Severn Thames Transfer has not been selected as a preferred option within the utility’s economic and ‘best value’ analysis due to the high operational costs that result from Affinity’s lack of raw water storage and the need to rely on Thames Water’s storage to facilitate the scheme.

However, the water company said that the analysis was based on its own independent development of the scheme. If the scheme is developed by the three-company group (Thames Water, United Utilities and Severn Trent Water) that has been set up to investigate and potentially promote the option in AMP7, Affinity said it may be possible for one of the three-company group to offer a cost effective trade. The company is committed to liaising closely with the group during AMP7.

Affinity Water will need to collaborate with neighbouring water companies or other parties to secure the additional resources needed for all of its strategic options.

Affinity has also confirmed its commitment to achieving a 18.5% leakage reduction during AMP7 (2020 to 2025) and in the long-term to reach 50% leakage reduction from 2015 levels by 2045.

The water company has now added a target to achieve 50% leakage reduction from 2020 levels by 2050 as part of what it defines as an “aspirational future” - this equates to 57% leakage reduction from 2015 levels by 2050.

The utility is also looking to reducing per capita water use from its customer average of 152 litres per person per day to 129 litres per person per day by 2025. The current figure is higher than the national average consumption (for England and Wales) of 141 litres per person per day. The water company said it will then aim towards further reducing water use to between 110 and 120 litres per person per day by 2045, but “only if this is affordable for customers and delivered in a way that is acceptable to them.”

On metering , Affinity said it anticipates 80%-meter penetration by 2025 and 90% meter penetration by 2045, which represents a lower target than at the dWRMP19. The water company said this is largely as a result of the higher than anticipated need to install internal rather than external meters, and taking on board experience to date around the practicalities of installing meters internally as well as wider industry learning.

Affinity Water expects to publish its final plan late 2019.

Click here to download Affinity Water - Statement of Response Revised Draft Water Resources Management Plan 2019