Sustainability

From 2025 to 2030, we plan to invest £1.13bn to improve the water quality of our waterways by removing nutrients, which negatively impact habitats and wildlife. 

During this same period, we want to invest £550m to reduce the operation of storm overflows. This work is essential to protecting our rivers and the sea.

With water demand increasing and droughts becoming more common, we need to manage our water resources effectively to ensure a consistent supply and protect the environment. 

This is why we are working to ensure sustainable abstraction levels, while also targeting a 50% leakage reduction by 2050. We will also roll out smart meters, which will help customers better manage their water use and enable us to identify leaks faster.

By 2030, we aim to achieve net zero operational carbon emissions, which are our annual emissions linked to energy use, transport, and sewage and sludge treatment processes.

To achieve this, we will use a combination of readily available and new technologies and ways of working, such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and nature-based solutions.

We are always looking for ways to boost biodiversity in our region. Recent work includes creating two new wetlands and increasing treatment capacity at our sites.  

We have also planted over 100,000 trees since 2020. And between 2025 and 2030, we will be improving the biodiversity of more than 200 hectares of land, including our own land, which contains or connects to priority habitats for protected species.