Reviewed November 2011
Southern Water is a water and sewerage company regulated for prices by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) and for quality by the Environment Agency, Drinking Water Inspectorate and Natural England.
We supply drinking water and wastewater treatment services to customers in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Our activities can affect the quality of the environment and we maintain rigorous procedures to prevent and control adverse impacts.
Under Section 4 of the Environment Act 1995 the Environment Agency has the principal objective of achieving Sustainable Development. In addition, the Water Act 2003 gives Ofwat a duty towards Sustainable Development.
Sustainable Development Policy
Sustainable development at Southern Water means an increasing focus on the balanced consideration of economic, social and environmental aspects in making business decisions.
Within and beyond the regulatory framework of the water industry, we believe that by adopting Sustainable Development principles we will:
- Ensure continuous supply of drinking water and the provision of wastewater services in line with European standards
- Protect water supplies and promote effective management of water resources
- Ensure safe recycling of wastewater and sludge to the environment
- Help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions where possible while meeting quality obligations
- Improve services by making them more sustainable and cost-effective by innovation and efficient use of resources
- Involve our communities and influence our business partners in working towards more sustainable futures
Our Chief Executive leads the implementation of this policy, making available the necessary resources as part of One Team. One Goal, our vision to be recognised as the UK’s leading water company.
- We expect all employees to share responsibility for our performance in implementing this policy.
Our commitment:
- We will ensure the continued delivery of quality services to our customers, the environment and other stakeholders across our operations
- We will consider the balance between economic, environmental and social aspects of our business decisions against sustainable development principles
- We will listen to and work with our customers, employees, regulators, investors and other stakeholders to ensure continuous improvement in the sustainable development of our operations
- We will publish an annual report on our performance
Our key stakeholders:
- Domestic and commercial customers
- Employees
- Government and regulators
- Investors and insurers
- Suppliers of goods and services
- Members of local community and community groups
- Non-government organisations
- Environmental bodies
To deliver on our commitment we will:
- Focus on our core business operations: long-term, low-risk water supply, wastewater treatment and sludge recycling
- Continue to develop and maintain formal systems of operational control and review these annually
- Continue to develop and maintain performance management systems to improve efficiency for the benefit of our stakeholders and the environment
This means we:
- Set commercially practical goals and performance targets
- Monitor and measure our performance against the targets
- Continue to support our employees to achieve shared goals for their development in a stable working environment
- Continue to research projects and initiatives providing more sustainable routes for our business operations and service delivery
- Engage with our stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally and form partnerships that combine delivery of high quality customer service with community and environmental benefit
- Report our economic, environmental and social performance to the public annually
What can you do?
- Use water wisely and dispose of wastes and chemicals safely
- Seek our guidance when you are uncertain, helping us to help you by tailoring our services to best meet your requirements and to ensure the sustainability of our joint actions
To view and comment on our other existing policies and performance as reported, including our Environment Policy, Corporate Responsibility Policy and our annual Sustainability Report, visit http://southernwater.co.uk/Aboutus/library/default.asp
