Sutton and East Surrey Water

All life depends upon water. Rain is the main natural provider of life-supporting water.

Winter rainfall helps recharge the underground reserves, lakes and rivers from which water companies take their raw water, which is then treated and supplied to customers. 

But rainfall is unpredictable. Within the past decade (2005/2006) we suffered the worst drought in the South East for 100 years. Over the years more and more water has been taken from the environment as the population grows. And, we all use more water nowadays - 50 years ago few had automatic washing machines or dishwashers.

The need to conserve water to protect our environment has never been greater, so we are active and involved in many ways:

We keep to the rules
We work closely with the Environment Agency (EA), which regulates the extraction of water from underground aquifers, lakes and rivers. The EA monitors environmental reaction to extraction, and we abide by what they decide.

We give gardening advice
Gardeners and allotment holders can use a lot of water, but we help them use it sparingly and wisely, with water-saving tips and advice on water-efficient plants and products.  For more information, go to Saving water outside the home.

We help conserve wetlands and wildlife
We often undertake or support local restoration and conservation projects. Our latest work is at Blindley Heath ponds. See the News report.

We support sustainability
We continue to be involved with major pioneering projects, locally and nationally, to promote sustainability and water saving in the home. For more information, go to Water efficiency projects.

We teach environmental awareness
Check the activities of our Schools educational programme.

We keep the message alive
Ongoing publicity in the news media, through freely available leaflets (many downloadable), stands at local shows, talks and the customer magazine. Together they ensure public awareness that water is a limited resource that needs to be conserved.