Our Clean Rivers and Seas Plan in action

“We wanted to provide our customers and stakeholders with an easy way to find out what we’re doing in their area to reduce the use of storm overflows. We created a map of our area, showing what the proposed plans are. The information can be accessed on our public website, by clicking on each area of the Clean Rivers and Seas Plan. 

“When you click on the map, you can see that we’re planning lots of interventions. These include constructing wetlands to hold and manage excess flows, lining public and private pipework to prevent groundwater infiltration, and installing over 150,000 slow the flow measures, such as water butts, to prevent rainfall from overwhelming the sewer system. It also includes plans to prioritise areas such as shellfish waters and bathing sites. These are just some examples of the solutions you can see on our map, and some are already being put in place.

“We were the first water company to provide an online plan like this. The plan is already being used as a key communications tool and to gather customer views about the speed and prioritisation of our reduction plan. We tested the plan with 1,075 customers and their feedback was positive, saying the map was clear and allowed easy access to tailored information. The feedback showed that 74% were in favour of the plan and only 4% opposed it. “They told us they supported the prioritisation of projects and felt we had struck the right balance with pace of delivery and affordability.”

“The map reflects our £1.5 billion 2025–35 proposal. The plan was submitted to Defra and the Environment Agency in October, and it will be further updated following feedback, later this year. It’s a transparent way to keep everyone updated on the extensive work planned across our area.” 

Nicole McNab
Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force