Water Quality and Standards

5 other issues

5.1 Security + Emergency Measures Direction

The Security and Emergency Measures Direction was issued to water authorities on 5 June 1998 and promotes the Government's policy of Integrated Emergency Management, a concept of having plans so flexible that they can, in conjunction with other relevant bodies, be put in action to deal with any emergency situation arising from any cause, civil or national security. Under the Direction, water authorities are directed to make, keep under review and revise plans to ensure the provision of essential water supply or sewerage services at all times including during a civil emergency or any event threatening national security. The water authorities are required to submit a statement to Scottish Ministers confirming that they have made plans in accordance with the Direction and that all facilities required by the Direction (such as stockpiles of equipment and materials, trained staff and communication facilities) have been provided. Guidance issued at the same time as the Direction suggested that such statements should be independently endorsed by a suitable person approved by the Department. The first audit of water authorities' plans took place in March 1999 and, understandably for relatively new organisations, these found a number of shortfalls which will need to be addressed in the next year or two.

5.2 Water Authorities' Local Initiatives

The main local initiatives on drinking water quality concern the extension of the public water supply to rural areas where there are particular public health risks from the existing private supplies. As the costs of the capital programme to meet statutory objectives is so high, the funds that can be made available for the expansion of supplies are limited, and the authorities have to prioritise amongst the communities affected.

Each authority has a clean water initiative, aimed at enhancing the quality of the aquatic environment in their area. In some cases, the authorities may in some cases go beyond the standards of treatment demanded of them by regulation, in order to achieve a valuable improvement in water quality that is important to wildlife, or enhances bathing waters. All 3 initiatives are marked by a partnership approach.

East of Scotland Water Authority's(ESW) Watermark Initiative uses a partnership approach with local communities, government and environmental groups to improve the environment. When local circumstances require, ESW's Watermark Initiative can go beyond statutory requirements. It ensures that guideline standards (stricter than the mandatory Bathing Water Directive standards) are not compromised in all designated and non designated Bathing Waters. Amongst other things the Initiative also commits ESW to provide higher standards, when required, to meet the needs for recreational use in coastal waters and rivers and to eliminate all untreated discharges by the end of 2000.

North of Scotland Water Authority's (NoSWA) "Clear Water" (Coasts, Lochs, Estuaries And Rivers) campaign will raise public awareness of the direct relationship between providing new wastewater treatment plants and a cleaner environment. It seeks to involve local councils and the public in an environmental clean up campaign. NoSWA will work in partnership with local groups to encourage clean up initiatives at beaches, rivers and lochs. The Clear Water campaign is part of a programme of communicating to customers the benefits arising from the authority's investment programme.

West of Scotland Water Authority's(WoSWA) Waterwatch initiative focuses on improving the wastewater treatment standards at 46 coastal communities to meet and, where possible, go beyond the standards and timetables required by the UWWT Directive. The authority aims to involve local and community councils and establish a partnership approach with industry, other environmental organisations and pressure groups. Resources are also being directed at schools and colleges to explain the authority's role in being a provider of water and wastewater services while, at the same time, protecting the environment. Students will be given the opportunity to understand the issues involved by getting involved in specific environmental improvement projects.

The estimated capital costs (in £m) of these initiatives is included in section 4.9 on costs of complying with Directives and other statutory requirements.

5.3 An Uncertainty: Climate Change

The effects of climate change are uncertain. It could affect both the supply of raw water for drinking water supplies and the demand for it. Water demand is usually at its greatest during prolonged dry weather which can cause some supplies to dry up. Similarly, increased rainfall can create problems for sewerage networks, particularly combined sewer overflows

There is some evidence to suggest that the west of Scotland is getting wetter and the east drier and also that our winters are getting wetter and our summers drier. However, these are only indicators of apparent change and do not in themselves necessarily constitute significant climatic change. At present the observed changes appear to be within the range of historical climatic variation, but if the trends continue, this could point to the effect of climatic change.