The third heatwave of the summer is a further reminder that our climate is changing. But temperature alone is not the only concern. Business water users will have increasing reasons to ask whether their suppliers can handle drier summers and wetter winters.
Of course, for many business water users, price is the biggest issue when it comes to choosing suppliers. Our price comparison tool and switching service can help your firm compare water suppliers and find the best deal.
However, you may also consider the issue of value. What will you get for what you pay? Will the supply of clean, fresh water be reliable? And will your supplier do more than just send water through the pipes?
The latter question may address the issue of resilience in the face of a changing climate. That means ensuring supplies in times of drought, as well as helping your premises be better prepared, through measures ranging from establishing wells to water recycling.
What Concerns Do Business Water Users Have About Climate Change?
Among those raising the issue of business water use was Mark Berry, the director of the East Sussex-based Gun Brewery. Speaking to the BBC, he warned that while hot weather is good news for beer sales, a drought that affects production would be “catastrophic”.
The “twin problem of being squeezed when the water supply is scarce” is a genuine concern, he noted, with around seven pints of water being needed for every pint of beer produced.
At the other end of the scale, a farmer in West Sussex, Caroline Harriott, noted that the increased risk of floods as winters bring more rain means a “feast or famine” cycle is arising, which highlights the need to harvest water in winter to make up for summer shortages.
This situation has arisen at a time when farmers face an economic squeeze. She noted: “Our cows drink water and the milk price has gone down, but the water price has gone up.”
How Are UK Rainfall Patterns Changing?
Concerns over the impact of climate change on water supplies and rainfall levels are not merely anecdotal. The data increasingly backs up the concerns:
- Overall precipitation is higher
- Winter rainfall has risen 15 per cent compared with long-term averages
- There is now a one-in-three chance in any given winter of one region of England experiencing unprecedented rainfall
- Although there is more rain overall, there are also longer dry spells in warmer months
- Dry spells have driven an increase in leaks
The government has concluded that “current hydrology models are not well designed for this”
Among the obvious summer problems is evaporation. Even when there has been a lot of winter rainfall to top up reservoirs, more of that water is being lost under the hot sun. After the hottest June on record, with more heat expected, this is a particular problem now.
With such challenges arising, especially in drier and hotter southern counties, the challenge is real. Finding a good and fair price for business water use is essential, but so is the need for extra help.
Why Will New Reservoirs Alone Not Solve Business Water Needs?
In the longer run, this will come from the provision of extra reservoirs. The much-heralded nine new reservoirs the government committed to building when it took office two years ago will all be located in the south or the Midlands.
When completed, these will provide 670 million extra litres of water a day. However, there is a time lag to consider before they are in place.
For example, Anglian Water plans two reservoirs, the Fens Reservoir and another near Sleaford, but even these will not be in use until 2036 and 2040 respectively, despite both being given ‘nationally significant’ status and therefore planning priority.
Other reservoirs will not be in use until the 2050s, which highlights the reality that for some, this solution may come too late.
What Can Water Companies Do To Help Businesses Become More Water Resilient?
The BBC noted that the Gun Brewery does have a spring from which it can source some water, but it still relies chiefly on what comes through the pipes. For firms like this, reliability of supply is a must and help will be needed if more water is to be sourced from the ground.
Enlightened water firms can help with this, as well as the creation of overflow storage reservoirs.
These can divert flood water to create the dual benefits of preventing land and properties from becoming flooded, while harvesting extra supplies that can be used in summer.
The fact that business water users are increasingly aware of the growing challenges means that suppliers need to respond.
Ultimately, the value for money that any deal could offer may lie not just in the headline price, but in what they are prepared to do to help you cope with a changing climate.
