Water taskforce prepares businesses for 'The Day After Tomorrow'

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A new report says urgent action is needed to tackle UK water issues, say government officials and business leaders.

United Utilities and Businesses in the Community (BITC) have put together a team to challenge the issues involving what businesses should do if their workplace became flooded.

Dan Rogerson, Water Minister, said: “In England, based on predictions of the impacts of climate change, we can see that a new response is needed to the increased risk of flooding and of drought allied to larger numbers of people being at risk due to population growth.”

Business leaders, BITC and government launched the taskforce last week led by North West water firm United Utilities.

This is to get small and large businesses to take water more seriously in terms of the damage it can cause when it isn’t contained.

If businesses across the North West have a more cautious attitude to extreme weather conditions in the future then it could prevent major flooding.

Steve Mogford, CEO of United Utilities says “Tackling water challenges is in our economic interests – it reduces costs and makes us more resilient to extreme weather events. It is also essential for our longer-term prosperity. And the longer businesses wait, the greater the costs of catch up.”

He also added that it is the time for action and the project will guide companies in managing water to ensure the right quality and quantity within the environment.

The Water Taskforce will bring other water companies and interested businesses together to encourage action on water in the near future.

The organisations involved are Anglian Water, the Carbon Trust, Costain, United Utilities, Defra, Dŵr Cymru, EDF Energy, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Marshalls, the Met Office, MWH, Nestlé, Northumbrian Water, Sainsbury’s and Thames Water.

The companies working on the project are finding solutions and answers to the following questions “How do we make sure we have the right quantity and quality of water in the UK, now and into the future, and how do we build our resilience to risks?”

Globally, freshwater demand is expected to rise by 40% due to the increase in population and economic growth.

In the UK, the common thought is that there is enough rainfall to last for a long period of time, when in fact there is a risk of water scarcity as London is drier than Istanbul. If elements such as water being embedded to produce food and other goods are taken into account then 3,400 litres of water are used every day.

Gudrun Cartwright, Head of Innovation and Partnerships, Business in the Community said: “Water management should be part of all sustainable business strategies. Rising sea levels and changes in rainfall patterns are just the beginning of an increase in flooding and drought in the UK. There is a clear and urgent need for UK businesses to act now and respond to water challenges. We are delighted that BITC members are helping to drive change through the Water Taskforce and look forward to seeing how we can deliver real impact over the next three years.“

Protecting the health of rivers and lakes as well as keeping water affordable are the most crucial challenges United Utilities face as these elements have to stay the same or be improved, present and future.