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We’re using natural capital accounting to evaluate our natural assets. These are grouped together into catchment areas.
We’re using natural capital accounting to measure and evaluate our natural assets, these include rivers, lakes and woodlands. We’ve grouped these natural assets into areas we call catchments. A catchment is an area where water is collected by the natural landscape – it can be a river water catchment or groundwater catchment.
Our Natural Capital in our Catchments report and its appendix look at our 11 catchment areas. The report uses natural capital accounting to measure and evaluate natural assets, helping us protect these environments going forwards. This report follows our first Natural Capital in our Catchments report, covering three of these areas: the Arun and Western Streams, the Medway, and the Test and Itchen catchment.
A large proportion of land in the three catchments is agricultural. Excessive agricultural run-off into waterbodies can lead to increased growth of algae in water due to high levels of certain nutrients. This highlights the importance of working alongside landowners to adopt catchment-sensitive farming.
Protecting and improving the quality of rivers and seas is a clear focus for water companies, as these ecosystems support recreation and the local economy. Rivers and seas are particularly vulnerable to impacts from our activities, including from the use of storm overflows. This report shows that rivers are vulnerable in the Arun and Western Streams catchment. This could have downstream impacts on coastal areas, including on bathing waters.
Investing in nature-based solutions can help deliver biodiversity and environmental benefits alongside business benefits, such as reducing water treatment costs. These solutions, such as creating wetlands or regenerating oyster beds, can help purify and protect our water sites.
A large proportion of land in the three catchments is agricultural. Excessive agricultural run-off into waterbodies can lead to increased growth of algae in water due to high levels of certain nutrients. This highlights the importance of working alongside landowners to adopt catchment-sensitive farming.
Protecting and improving the quality of rivers and seas is a clear focus for water companies, as these ecosystems support recreation and the local economy. Rivers and seas are particularly vulnerable to impacts from our activities, including from the use of storm overflows. This report shows that rivers are vulnerable in the Arun and Western Streams catchment. This could have downstream impacts on coastal areas, including on bathing waters.
Investing in nature-based solutions can help deliver biodiversity and environmental benefits alongside business benefits, such as reducing water treatment costs. These solutions, such as creating wetlands or regenerating oyster beds, can help purify and protect our water sites.
We want to protect the environment and the natural assets in the region we serve. With natural capital accounting, we can make better planning and investment decisions.
Having a better understanding of the state of our water sites and other natural assets helps us plan and prioritise our future work. We can track changes in natural capital over time while we make improvements, working with stakeholders to boost natural capital by restoring or enhancing these environments.
We have a total of 98 groundwater catchments, 11 river catchments, and 4 reservoir catchments in our region. We're committed to setting up natural capital accounts for at least three of our 11 catchments by the end of 2024–25.
By evaluating the quantity and quality of Southern Water's natural capital, we can understand how to continue protecting the environment in these catchments. Through this, we can also support recreational activities and the local economy.
