Our Water Resources

Our Water Resources: Why understanding how we use water needs to change

Water is essential to all aspects of life. But managing this precious resource is a tough challenge. Our latest Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) gives a clear path. It aims to provide safe, clean water to our customers ensuring we protect the environment. It must also adapt to future demands. This blog explores our new strategies to save resources. It also covers how and why everyone should save water. It also covers our preparations for the challenges of climate change. 

Why a Water Resources Management Plan is essential

The WRMP isn't just about supplying water; it's about sustainable management. With SES Water's commitment to balancing supply and demand, the plan emphasises:

• Securing supply for the future: Everyone must have access to water, now and as demand grows. 
• Environmental protection: Reducing water extraction from sensitive ecosystems to maintain environmental balance.
• Adaptation to climate change: Addressing climate impacts on water supply, assessing sustainable practices and improving infrastructure.

Where our water comes from

85% of our supply comes from groundwater, the rest sourced from the River Eden that feeds directly into our Reservoir at Bough Beech Bough Beech, alongside seven treatment works treat the water before it reaches our customers. Responsible abstraction of these sources will protect the environment, balancing human needs with nature. 

Managing Supply and Demand in a growing region

The South East is classed as "seriously water stressed." It faces high population growth and climate challenges. Here are a few strategies we have in place to focus on tackling supply and demand: 

Customer Engagement: Encouraging customers to reduce water consumption. We offer water-saving tips and tools, like GetWaterFit which has helped our customers save more than 675,000 litres of water per day in 2024 Through a combination of water saving devices. 

Leak Reduction: Use real-time data and AI to detect leaks faster. This will minimise the volume of water lost due to leaks on our network. 

Pressure Optimisation: Adjusting water pressure to reduce the stress on our pipes and yours. This can lower leakage rates and extend the life of our supply network. 

Commitment to the environment and sustainable abstraction

Water abstraction is the process of extracting water from rivers and aquifers. Managing it with care is essential to our water supply and we are committed to reducing reliance on high-impact sources. This is especially true in rare or sensitive areas. By using less water, we reduce both its abstraction, and the energy and chemicals needed for treatment. 

Climate change: Securing water for the future

Our climate adaptation plan addresses the challenges we face across four pillars:

• Sustainable Resources Management: Balancing today's needs with future demands. 
• Resilient Infrastructure: Expand networks to connect more customers to more than one treatment work. This will ensure a more secure water supply.
• Protecting Water Quality: Safeguarding water from the source to the tap.
• Environmental Care: Minimising extraction impacts to help ecosystems thrive.

How we use AI to help us fix leaks

Using AI, we can now find leaks in an hour, not days. This cuts the "leak run time" significantly. This not only saves water but also lowers costs associated with wasted resources. AI monitors real-time data to predict and alert our teams of any irregularities. This allows proactive repairs and prevents minor issues from becoming major disruptions. 

Pressure Optimisation: Our smarter approach to supplying water

Our program aims to deliver water at the appropriate pressure. This reduces stress on pipes and minimises leakage. By calming the network, we can keep more water where it belongs, in our pipes and not lost to leakage. 

Network resilience: Our commitment to keeping your taps flowing.

We know safe water is vital for everyone and we're committed to maintaining our record of the highest quality water in the UK. By 2025, we plan to connect every property we serve to more than one treatment facility. This will make your water supply even more secure meaning you count on it during busy times or during any unexpected surprises that may come up. 

Our upgrades will benefit all 750,000 customers in the communities we serve. This is especially important during the summer when water demand increases. SES Water has proudly not had to instigate any hose pipe or water restrictions during summer months in over a decade.  

Water usage: Why we should be mindful of how much water we use every day

Very few people really understand how much water is used in the home. We must change how we use and think about water. It's not just about saving on bills, it's about creating a sustainable future.  

Every drop we save lowers the demand for abstraction and helps preserve our water sources and potential harm to the environment. Mindful water use reduces the energy and chemicals for water treatment cutting emissions and pollution. 

Small changes in everyday habits can help. Build your knowledge of water-saving habits, use water-saving devices, and rethink consumption. These actions will make a more resilient water system for years to come.