(Anglian Water)Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management

The first step in designing an effective program was to gather a scientifically informed body of research on the problems facing catchments in the region. Combining strong scientific evidence with the experience of other utility case studies has allowed Anglian Water to identify effective interventions. This exercise of diagnosing pressures on natural capital stocks, mapping the catchments where intervention was most needed, and then sharing this information with relevant local stakeholders was an essential building block for implementation.

Strong mandates from the community and local organizations to implement nature-based solutions are a powerful component of the Anglian case study. A clear example of this local pressure is illustrated through the initiative of a local charity focused on catchment-based approaches, the Norfolk Rivers Trust. With financing from Anglian Water, in 2017 the Trust pioneered the construction of a wetland treatment site that improves treated effluent before allowing it to return to the River Ingol. The wetland filters water after it has passed through the existing treatment plant to ensure it meets high quality standards, replacing the need for conventional, energy intensive infrastructure. It is the first of its kind in England. The Trust recognized the potential for this project to generate cost savings, reduce carbon emissions and increase wildlife in the area. It provides an excellent solution to removing unwanted chemicals in a natural way, rather than through additional chemical treatment or infrastructure, which would additionally raise costs for customers. The success of this pilot project gave Anglian Water the confidence to further promote NBS, both internally as a company and externally to industry regulators. The company recently unveiled proposals for the development of dozens of wetlands for wastewater treatment in its next business plan period 2020-2025. In the UK, public pressure for catchment protection extends beyond local environmental organizations. Anglian Water initiated an ambitious and targeted customer engagement strategy to assess the level of support for NBS in their communities. Customers responded positively, encouraging the company to engage in greater awareness raising efforts. “The more we inform our customers about what we do, the more they appreciate the challenges we face as a company and the challenges growth and climate change present to the environment. When they have that level of understanding, we get the highest level of support for NBS, because customers understand the full potential benefits and recognize their role in solving them”, Chris comments.

For utilities struggling to prioritize NBS in their corporate agenda, the case of Anglian Water provides a strong evidence base. Regulatory requirements such as the EU Water Framework Directive provided a starting point for Anglian Water to move away from end of pipe solutions and think about water issues at a catchment level. However, it’s clear that the growth of Anglian’s innovative program goes beyond regulatory compliance. A company commitment to sustainability, community driven pilot studies and customer pressure to deliver environmentally-friendly solutions have been vital elements to support the mainstreaming of NBS.

It is well supported that multi-stakeholder networks are important to the design, planning and implementation of NBS programs. However, water utilities frequently cite tense relations with farmers when catchment protection activities involve resource stewardship or significant financial investment from the agricultural sector. To combat these tensions, Anglian Water employs appropriately qualified advisors to speak to farmers about their practices. Partnership building involves dedicated catchment advisors with an agricultural or farming background forging relationships with farm managers. Initiating conversations in a way that understands the interests, concerns and priorities of these stakeholders has allowed Anglian to achieve its aims for catchment protection. The Slug it Out Campaign (see Box 1) is evidence that this approach has been highly successful. The model of delegating appropriate staff to engage meaningfully with farmers addresses the perception that large water companies are disconnected from the populations they serve. This is a promising strategy for building a strong and engaged multi-stakeholder network.

As Brexit discussions leave a high degree of uncertainty around future water quality standards and compliance in the UK, Chris Gerrard reflects on how the EU’s regulatory environment can better support NBS adoption. “We play our part in protecting and improving water quality. Right now we often have to use chemical and energy-intensive treatment to do this; improving the water environment but impacting other elements of the natural world. We’d like to see NBS mainstreamed where we can jointly agree with the regulator it’s the best approach for the environment as a whole, even if they don’t work as consistently as a traditional solution”. While a NBS approach might not deliver the required water quality parameters in a given month or year, there are nature-based metrics indicating co-benefits. The key, and challenge, behind regulation is providing regulators with real data. Anglian Water seeks to devise a new approach with the Environment Agency that allows projects like the wetland wastewater treatment facility to become the rule, rather than the exception. Irrespective of how this materializes, their 2020-2025 Business Plan will build on the success of the past 5 years to further embed natural capital approaches into decision-making.

Anglian Water launched the Slug it Out campaign to reduce the levels of a commonly used slug control pesticide called metaldehyde from entering the region’s raw water supplies. In addition to the fact that the EU Drinking Water Directive’s (DWD) strict targets on metaldehyde levels were being regularly exceeded in the region’s reservoirs, the treatment processes to remove the chemical from water presented an unsus¬tainable cost to customers. Failure to tackle this issue early on carried the potential for tougher enforcement of regulations on farmers and wider impacts on the industry. Anglian’s campaign strived to support local farmers in meeting these regulations in order to protect customers and the natural environment. Through awareness-raising campaigns and financial incentives for participation, Anglian’s trial program was highly successful in discouraging the use of metaldehyde and significantly cheaper than upgrading water treatment works. By the third year of the metaldehyde-free farming, Anglian saw a 94% drop in metaldehyde detected in reservoir tributaries. 

Slug it Out resulted in a 94% overall reduction in metaldehyde levels since 2015 and demonstrated a clear cost benefit case for regulatory and government action. This outcome is reinforced by the 2018 official ban on outdoor metaldehyde use (to be introduced in Spring 2020) . Anglian Water’s supportive approach to helping farmers adopt more sustainable methods of slug control illustrates their commitment to collaboratively tackling water quality challenges.