SAS ATTACK WATER UK's POSITION ON SUSTAINABILITY

Surfers Against Sewage today expressed their dismay over the position that Water UK* appear to have taken on the issue of sustainability in the water industry. SAS feel that whilst on the one hand Water UK are calling for the government to address issues of sustainability within new legislation - namely the Water Bill, the organisation are failing to address the issue fully in their own policy.

The recent publication of the Draft Water Bill has caused Water UK to raise concerns over the future of abstraction licencing in the UK. Whilst water supply is obviously of key importance, SAS feel that abstraction is not the only option open to the water industry.
SAS Campaign Manager Vicky Garner said today: "In recent years the water industry has invested billions of pounds in sewage treatment, producing effluents of superior quality, yet at present the vast majority of these effluents are simply being discharged to sea. One could be forgiven for thinking that we are in fact financing the water companies to be wasteful. Re-using this water, is surely one of the most long-term sustainable options available".

"Ten years ago SAS' calls for full treatment of sewage were met with dismissal from the Water Industry, yet now full treatment is fully accepted and utilised. In the same way that the industry has changed the way it regards sewage, so it must look at water supply from a new perspective. The water industry have all the water they need within the system - they just need to recognise that! We would urge Water UK to think carefully about the options and their position as a matter of urgency. At the very least there needs to be a comprehensive cost benefit analysis of the reuse option".
In the UK it is still up to individual companies whether or not they look at reuse as an option; there is apparently minimal direction or push from either Water UK or the DETR. European legislation actually dictates that reuse should be considered 'whenever appropriate'** - surely if there are concerns surrounding the conventional method of water supply, it is 'appropriate' to look at the option of reuse?
The UK is already facing fines of up to £67,000 a day for failing to meet the requirements of European legislation, it would be a great shame if the tax-payer was once again forced to pay for mistakes made by the water industry".

Editors notes.
* Water UK is the trade body for the Water Industry.
** Article 12 of the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive specifies that "Treated waste water shall be reused whenever appropriate".
In the UK, Anglian Water have begun to emerge as leaders in the field of effluent reuse. Faced with limited water resources and an increased demand on supplies they are looking at alternatives to abstraction and recently unveiled a system that could treat waste water to drinking water quality. Contact John Murrer on (01733) 414381 for details.
SAS suggest that the reuse option is ideal for supplying industry such as oil refineries, chemical processing companies and power generation companies. This would free up valuable drinking water supplies.
Japan already reuses a large amount of its water for both industrial and domestic purposes.