Benchmarking our performance against the water industry
Water UK, the industry body, compiles an annual Sustainability Indicators' report. This highlights a number of areas where the industry has made significant progress. It also explains challenges facing the industry, for example the tension between regulations that demand high water quality and the need to reduce carbon emissions. The report notes that energy use is increasing, driven largely by the requirement for higher water and waste water quality standards. Consequently greenhouse gas emissions appear to be rising.
The Water UK report includes benchmarked performance against the following seven core indicators:
- water supply interruptions
- risk of sewer flooding
- greenhouse gas emissions - water supply
- greenhouse gas emissions - waste water treatment
- leakage
- waste water sludge sent for recycling
- number of convictions for environmental offences.
South West Water's performance against these indicators in 2009/10 and 2010/11 is detailed below. (Water UK will publish the 2010/11 sustainability report towards the end of 2011.) For six of the indicators, South West Water performance compares positively with the industry average, particularly in respect of low levels of sewer flooding risk, leakage and waste water sludge recycled. The exception is the indicator for greenhouse gas emissions for treating wastewater where South West Water has the highest level of emissions. This is because of the extent of energy intensive UV treatment necessary at coastal wastewater treatment works to ensure that bathing waters comply with European standards, and the topography of the region which results in high levels of pumping.
|
Indicator |
Industry performance |
Highest |
Lowest |
SWW |
SWW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of properties with unplanned interruptions to supply >/= 6 hours per 100,000 connected properties |
Total 119,800 |
1180 |
17 |
324 |
385 |
|
Properties at risk of sewer flooding at least once in every ten years, per 100,000 connected properties |
Average 19.1 |
116.8 |
6.8 |
6.8 |
5.4 |
|
Greenhouse gas emissions from supplying water (CO2e per Ml of water supplied) |
Average 0.34 tonnes CO2e / Ml |
0.5 |
0.17 |
0.35 |
0.36 |
|
Greenhouse gas emissions from waste water treatment (CO2e per Ml of waste water treated) |
Average 0.7 tonnes CO2e / Ml |
1.1 |
0.42 |
1.1 |
0.99 |
|
Total leakage per 100km of supply main (Ml/day) |
Average 1.03 |
2.13 |
0.53 |
0.55 |
0.55 |
|
% waste water sludge sent for recycling |
Average 70.8 |
100 |
39.2 |
100 |
100 |
|
Convictions (calendar year basis) |
8 |
0 |
3 |
5 |