One of many UK’s largest water firms is contemplating delivery provides from Norway to the UK.
Southern Water stated the thought was a “last-resort contingency measure” in case of maximum droughts within the early 2030s.
As much as 45 million litres could possibly be dropped at the UK per day underneath the proposals.
The Monetary Occasions, which first reported the potential transfer, stated the water, from melting glaciers by fjords within the Scandinavian nation, can be transported by tankers.
It comes as fears develop over the way forward for water companies within the UK following droughts in the summertime of 2022 when some areas of the nation got here near operating out of provides.
The Monetary Occasions stated Southern Water was in “early-stage” talks with Excessive Drought Resilience Service, a non-public UK firm that provides water by sea tanker.
The agency would pay for the measure out of shoppers’ payments, in response to the report.
Southern Water, which covers Hampshire, Kent, East and West Sussex, and the Isle of Wight, at the moment will get its provides from groundwater and uncommon chalk streams.
Nevertheless, the Surroundings Company (EA) has urged the agency to scale back its reliance on such sources amid considerations over the environmental influence and fears they may make the chance of droughts worse.
‘Expensive and carbon-intensive’
Water corporations have come underneath rising criticism lately over sewage spills and rising payments, with households dealing with a median enhance of 21% over the following 5 years.
Corporations have additionally been urged to enhance their infrastructure to assist provides. At the moment round a fifth of water operating by way of pipes is misplaced to leaks, in response to regulator Ofwat.
And a report by the EA earlier this 12 months discovered that Southern Water, together with Anglian Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water, was chargeable for greater than 90% of great air pollution incidents.
The corporate stated it was dealing with a shortfall of 166 million litres per day in Hampshire alone throughout future droughts.
However the agency stated it was already endeavor different measures to deal with the issue, together with by constructing the UK’s first new reservoir in additional than three many years in Havant Thicket.
Nevertheless, Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist Dr Doug Parr criticised the Norway proposal and stated the agency ought to focus extra on addressing points domestically.
“Tankering in huge quantities of water from Norway will inevitably be a costly and carbon-intensive alternative to that of doing a better job with the water resources that are available in a rainy country like the UK,” he stated.
He added: “Despite the obvious failings of planning, water companies need to start thinking of potable fresh water as a precious and finite resource, and plan to start treating it as such.”
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From 2022: How can we shield ourselves from water disaster?
Tim McMahon, Southern Water’s managing director for water, stated: “We put less water into supply now than we did 30 years ago and measures like reducing leakage have enabled us to keep pace so far with population growth and climate change.
“As we work to take much less water from our chalk streams and construct new reservoirs like Havant Thicket in Hampshire, we’d like a variety of choices to assist shield the surroundings whereas this infrastructure comes on-line.”
Mr McMahon added: “Importing water would be a last resort contingency measure that would only be used for a short period in the event of an extreme drought emergency in the early 2030s – something considerably worse than the drought of 1976.
“We’re dedicated to persevering with to work with our regulators on creating the proper options to fulfill the problem of water shortage, whereas defending the surroundings.”
