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Investing in Water Services 2006 - 2014

7 OTHER PRIORITIES FOR THE CUSTOMER

7.1 The earlier chapters have focussed upon important investment priorities for the water industry, clearly aligned with issues which are important to customers such as efficient sewage disposal; drinking water quality; maintaining/extending the networks and environmental concerns. However, in addition to these, there are also a number of other issues which research¹⁶ suggest are of importance to customers (see Annex C). These are:

• odour from sewage works;
• water pressure; and
• sewer flooding.

7.2 The investment needs associated with these issues are discussed below.

ODOUR FROM WASTE WATER TREATMENT WORKS

Introduction

7.3 Historically, odour has not been seen as a problem which would justify significant capital investment. However, it is evident that there is an increasing customer intolerance of malodours emanating from wastewater treatment works. Communities, groups and individuals located near to wastewater treatment works will no longer accept local malodours as natural and inevitable. This could be due to a number of factors:

• the development of housing within close vicinity of treatment works;
• increasing levels of sewage treatment; and
• a rise in public awareness of environmental issues.

7.4 Although the water industry can claim that their treatment works were invariably there first, located close to, yet apart from, the urban area they served, urbanisation means that many works and communities are now sitting in close proximity. Clearly, odour considerations require to be given due weight in planning for new development. However, the issue now facing the industry is large and significant action may need to be taken to tackle odour-related complaints.

Why do we need to invest in this issue?

7.5 The current key legislation is the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This places a responsibility on local authorities to require that "no processes shall cause odour nuisance at or beyond the boundary of a site". Where in breach of this requirement, or the statutory nuisance provisions of Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the local authority can serve an Abatement Notice to address the problem. In addition, where a waste water treatment works has a Waste Management Licence, it will contain odour control conditions regulated by SEPA. However, there are difficulties in finding an agreed solution to the problem of odour. First of all there is no agreed method of measuring odour. Secondly, establishing the cause of the problem is complex as it can be caused by a combination of operation practice, capital maintenance procedures, or simply by the fact that the treatment works have not been designed to meet the required standards.

7.6 The Scottish Executive consider the existing legislative controls are adequate, especially with Thames Water withdrawing their appeal to the House of Lords on the applicability of the Statutory Nuisance Regime of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Executive are currently developing a Code of Practice on odour control with Scottish Water and the enforcement agencies for consultation and publication later this year. This will provide advice on the practical resolution of complaints about odour from sewage treatment plants

What investment is currently underway?

7.7 Scottish Water was not specifically funded for capital investment in Odour Control except where it is required as part of a new waste water treatment works construction. At existing facilities Scottish Water has responded to customer issues where possible within existing Operational Budgets and Capital Maintenance Budgets of circa £4 million.

How are the investment requirements for Quality and Standards III derived?

7.8 Scottish Water has recently begun to collate root cause and site data on odours, along with proposed solutions. They are also working with the Water Industry Commissioner to agree a standard odour measurement. This work will inform costings which will be provided in time to advise Scottish Ministers on the final investment programme.

WATER PRESSURE

Introduction

7.9 Customers expect Scottish Water to supply water at a pressure that is sufficient for cleaning, drinking, washing and cooking. Water should come out of the tap at a steady flow, neither too slow nor too fast. Without adequate pressure some household appliances, such as boilers and electric showers, will not work. Low pressure also causes other inconvenience to customers; for example, it could cause a cistern to take a long time to refill.

Why do we need to invest in this issue?

7.10 Reliability of supply and adequate pressure shows up in research as an important issue for customers. Inadequate pressure can occur for several reasons. There may be insufficient pumping capacity, for example, or the mains pressure may be kept low to minimise the risk of bursts. In Scotland, since the majority of the network is fed by gravity, low pressure can occur because a customer is close to the height of the service reservoir.

7.11 Scottish Water is in discussion with the Water Industry Commissioner regarding a suitable pressure standard for their Code of Practice. Initial discussions surround Scottish Water’s aim to supply water pressure of 1 bar. In its annual return to the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland, Scottish Water reported that in 2003 there were just under 14,942 properties below the current standard.

What investment is currently underway in the current programme?

7.12 The current investment programme — Quality and Standards II — is investing a total of £1.8 billion during the period from April 2002 until March 2006. Within capital maintenance component of this programme, some £14 million is being targeted specifically at removing 1,391 properties from the poor pressure register during the current programme.

How are the investment requirements for Quality and Standards III derived?

7.13 Deriving accurate costs to address poor pressure problems is complex as the issue cuts across capital maintenance and water quality investment programme. However using a generic costing approach, Scottish Water has determined that an investment of £40 million during Quality and Standards III (2006—2014) would enable them to remove 13,365 of the 14,942 properties currently on the poor pressure register.

SEWER FLOODING

Introduction

7.14 Fortunately, sewer flooding is a relatively rare occurrence. However, when it does occur it is very distressing and unpleasant for those customers affected.

Why do we need to invest in this issue?

7.15 Sewer flooding can be caused by a number of factors. If a sewer does not have sufficient capacity to cope with a severe storm, it will become overloaded and wastewater may back up into the customer’s property. Flooding can also be caused when sewers get blocked or collapse, possibly as a result of the actions of third parties, or when a piece of equipment such as a pump fails.

7.16 Over the years flooding from sewers has been treated in isolation, however there is a significant recent shift that sustainable economic solutions require an integrated approach to all drainage within catchments, be it rivers, culverts, road drainage or sewers. The relationship that exists between sewer flooding and more general flooding is clear, however the complexity of the number of stakeholders and their individual policies and programmes have not previously lent themselves to address solutions in an integrated manner. A number of integrated initiatives are now taking shape within Scotland that will benefit communities in a cost-effective manner, e.g. the Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership.

7.17 Uniquely within the UK, Scottish Water has responsibility for a significant number of sewers laid in customers’ properties, gardens, etc. These sewers are known as laterals and are invariably of a smaller diameter than sewers in roads and highways. The small diameter increases the blockage rate and consequential flooding that is recorded as ‘flooding due to other causes’. Indeed, recent independently conducted customer research indicated that the most cited reason for contacting Scottish Water was blocked/overflowing drains.

What investment is currently underway?

7.18 Within the capital maintenance element of the current £1.8 billion programme, some £40 million is being targeted specifically at removing 829 properties from the ‘at risk of flooding" register.

How are the investment requirements for Quality and Standards III derived?

7.19 Scottish Water believes that a pragmatic approach requires to be taken with respect to sewer flooding. Properties ‘at risk’ from sewer flooding due to overloaded sewers can be identified whilst sewer flooding risk due to other causes is an altogether more undetermined facet of sewer operation. As such, Scottish Water proposes a commitment to addressing sewer flooding via a sustained investment in capital maintenance to address flooding due to other causes and an enhanced level of investment to reduce the number of properties ‘at risk’ due to overloaded sewers.

7.20 The level of investment determined to significantly reduce the number of properties ‘at risk’ from overloaded sewers is £240 million over 8 years. With such an investment Scottish Water would remove 2,301 properties at risk from internal flooding, across both the "once in ten year and twice in ten-year categories". In addition 884 properties at risk from external flooding would be removed along with 97 highway areas and 18 other flooded areas. Investment to sustain progress on flooding due to other causes will be incorporated within the capital maintenance element of the programme.

MISCELLANEOUS INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS

7.21 There are a number of additional miscellaneous items that may require capital investment and which the Quality and Standards III Project is currently considering. These include:

• Scottish Water fleet (e.g. tankers), property;
• IT, scientific requirements (e.g. laboratory needs);
• metering issues (mainly business customers); and
• the possibility of a new Scottish Water control room for incidents.

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