Issue of water neutrality
Having attended both the ‘Big Conversation’ at Horsham and recent online seminars by the local water companies, it does seem to me that the requirement for ‘water neutrality’ as a condition for new housing developments is practically impossible.
At the seminar, we learned that by 2040, without change, there would be a shortfall of water in the South East of
one billion litres per day.
They also said that the average consumption per person at present was 160 litres per day and that their target was to seek to reduce this to 100 litres per day. To put this in context, a normal bath requires about 200 litres.
How would the reduced use of water be achieved? Well, partly by persuasion and publicity to encourage us all to save water, combined with the requirement for all to have ‘smart’ water meters and partly by encouraging the use of rainwater and ‘grey’ water (that is recycling within your home the water you have already used once).
In terms of increasing supply, a considerable amount of water is lost through leaks in the mains – but that was expensive to trace and repair and the water companies admitted their previous repair programmes had under achieved their targets.
As to new reservoirs – well they are looking at upwards of 30 years to build those. But, for new builds, water neutrality is to be required which in simple terms means that for each new house built, somehow the water needs and usage of that house has to be met by an equivalent reduction somewhere else.
Can anyone explain how a property developer has the power or ability to reduce someone else’s water usage so as to demonstrate his houses will be water neutral?
Horsham has put a hold on new build planning permissions while they seek to find ways of achieving water neutrality. Let us hope they don’t try to fudge the answer – and recognise the reality that we have simply run out of water to supply new housing developments.
Malcolm Fillmore The Mount, Ifieldwood
There would be a shortfall of water of one billion litres per day.