Severn Trent Survey
Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water have commissioned Atkins to explore potential options for the Upper Derwent Valley Reservoir Extension (UDVRE) project.
Severn Trentare seeking people’s views to informe the scheme design. The closing date for the survey is Monday 14th November.
Please click here to start the survey.
Introduction – a personal view
We take taps for granted in the UK and don’t think about the need to save water.
Our house is off mains and we get our water from a spring. We pump this up to a 10,000 litre water tank. Last summer we ran short of water and so, in winter, we decided to install a second tank. Unfortunately, the connection between the two tanks leaked and we had to empty them completely. Since then we have been in drought and have been without water. This got me thinking about water.
Water use in the UK
We use, on average 350 litres per day per household and across Britain, at nom, just over 2 billion litres per day.[1] It is estimated that, with population increase and increased consumption, by 2050 we will need about 6 billion litres per day ie 3 times as much.[2]
Of all CO2 emissions in the UK, 6% are from water use . 89% of this is from heating water and 11% from pumping and treatment. Improving water efficiency in the home could significantly reduce our carbon emissions.[3] Showers are the biggest water use at home, followed by toilets. A shower uses less water than a bath, and we can take less, shorter showers. We can install dual flush toilets. We can also lobby water companies to reduce leaks.
But only about 5% of water use happens at home. About 5% is used by industry and the rest, 90%, is from agriculture – that’s about 2,700 litres per person per day to produce our food and drink. And about 62% of this “hidden” consumption happens outside of the UK.[4]
Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns associated with climate change are expected to deplete the water from existing sources by as much as 15% by 2050. In response, water companies are developing 18 strategic water resource options. They include new reservoirs.
How this affects Hope Valley
Yorkshire Water and Severn Trent have been conducting a strategic regional review of water resources. Specifically they have been investigating increasing the storage capacity of the Derwent reservoirs.
There are 3 alternative proposals.[5]
- Increasing the top water level (TWL) of the existing reservoir(s) by raising the existing dam(s).
- Increasing the TWL of the existing reservoir(s) by constructing a new dam immediately downstream, and in close proximity to the existing dam(s).
- Developing a fourth reservoir in a suitable location with the construction of a new dam.
Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water have revised their options and indicate that the most likely option is to raise both the Howden and Derwent dams.[6]
Questions
- Can we save more water, by plugging leaks and saving water at home, and thereby reduce the needed estimated threefold supply?
- What is the environmental impact of the different proposals and is there a map showing the extent of the new or expanded reservoirs?
- Should HVCA be doing anything about potential water shortages and do we have a view about the water companies’ proposals?
[1] Energy Saving Trust (2013) At home with Water Department for Environment and Rural Affairs
[2] Safeguarding England’s Water Future (2022) Mott Macdonald. https://www.mottmac.com/download/file?id=42218&isPreview=true
[3] Appleby M (2020) How much water does the UK use? Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures. https://grantham.sheffield.ac.uk/how-much-water-does-the-uk-use/
[4] Appleby M (2020) op cit
[5] Yorkshire Water – Severn Trent (2021) Strategic regional water resource solutions: Preliminary feasibility assessment. Gate-1 Submission for Upper Derwent Valley Reservoir Expansion Strategic Resource Option.
[6] Ofwat (2022) Strategic regional water resource solutions: New proposed solution gate one final decision for Upper Derwent Valley Reservoir Extension https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Strategic-regional-water-resource-solutions-New-proposed-solution-gate-one-final-decision-for-Upper-Derwent-Valley-Reservoir-Extension.pdf
One Response
It is worth noting that it takes 1,000 gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk, and beef has an overall water footprint of roughly 4 million gallons per ton. Thus, with agriculture using 90% of our water, changing our diets to plant based can massively reduce our water consumption.