2020thth Century Problems, 21Century Problems, 21stst Century Solutions:Century Solutions:Groundwater in the northGroundwater in the north--west of Englandwest of England

Phil MerrinPhil Merrin

Groundwater ManagerGroundwater Manager

Water Asset Management and RegulationWater Asset Management and Regulation

United UtilitiesUnited Utilities

Presentation Objectives

UU supply systemUU supply system

Groundwater issues in the NW Groundwater issues in the NW –– 2020thth Century problemsCentury problems

dWRMPdWRMP -- Supply/demand; an uncertain future?Supply/demand; an uncertain future?

Back to the future… Back to the future… –– 2121stst Century solutionsCentury solutions

UU supply system

7 million people, 2.9 million households, 0.2 million businesses1900 ML/d (average) into supply, 4 resource zones

UU supply system

7 million people, 2.9 million households, 0.2 million businesses1900 ML/d average into supply, 4 resource zones2000 km of aqueducts/large diameter trunk mains £4.5 billion on drinking water improvements since privatisation

RegionalResources

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

Welcome to the NW of England Eden

Valley

Cheshire, Merseyside

Fylde LCUS

Wirral

Pennine sources

West Cumbria

GroundwaterResources

15% of totalsupply

What does groundwater abstraction look like?

Over 150 licensed sourcesImportant input to UU’s supply especially in IRZPeak DemandsLow risk – geology, high S, high T Apart from….Water qualityAMP3 – process solutions – “lets treat it” – financial issuesAMP4 – do we have to treat?

More NO3

Eden Valley, Cumbria

Eden Valley – conceptual model

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Eden Valley - Simplified radial flow model‘scavenger’ type multiwell system

Long record of abstraction

Why?

Integration…?

Large transfer systems70% of customers receive water via LDTM

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

A finite resource…?

186919671980

UU dWRMP aims

Water supply/demand forecasts over the period to 2035

To identify the best possible water resources and demand strategyTo adapt to meet the challenge of climate changeTo ensure that abstraction from our water resources is sustainableTo ensure our plans deliver the needs and priorities of our customers and other stakeholders

Key Challenges for dWRMP

Water Availability

Source Yield: 2024 ML/d (2007/08) to 1947 ML/d (2034/35)

Sustainability reductions (HD, RSA): –46 ML/d at 2014/15

Huge range in predictions (+130 to -516 ML/d)

Central estimate predicts -31ML/d by 2034/35

Total: 77 ML/d

Key Challenges for dWRMP

Supply/demand balance

Demand Metering, water efficiency, non-household

Leakage

Water source yield > dry weather demand

Why do anything?

Uncertainty (aka headroom) - what we can’t predict (national approach)

>200 ML/d by 2034/35

-41 ML/d (2014/15); -97 ML/d (2019/20) - IRZ

-89 ML/d (2024/25); -52 ML/d (2034/35) - IRZ

EnvEnv.. Cust.

Groundwater >50 ML/d “new water”Leakage reduction (24 ML/d)Water efficiency (5 ML/d)Metering (8% reduction)

Can groundwater meet this challenge?

3.712.317.417.519.720.421.423.726.627.231.233.533.634.538.243.047.853.355.556.2

65.172.377.883.1

93.3112.6115.2122.3123.6127.0

138.0253.1

288.9

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Free water efficient showerheads (1.89 Ml/d)Pressure Reduction Stage 1 (1.00 Ml/d)

Domestic self audits (1.65 Ml/d)Community audits (0.52 Ml/d)

Widnes Groundwater (19.00 Ml/d)Southport Groundwater (22.50 Ml/d)

Pressure Reduction Stage 2 (0.50 Ml/d)Leakage Detection Stage 1 (10.00 Ml/d)Huntington WTW Upgrade (35.00 Ml/d)

Leakage Detection Stage 2 (10.00 Ml/d)Warrington Groundwater (7.00 Ml/d)

Oldham Groundwater (2.50 Ml/d)Ribble Valley Groundwater (3.10 Ml/d)Leakage Detection Stage 3 (10.00 Ml/d)Raise Haweswater IR dam (22.40 Ml/d)

Raise Stocks IR dam (23.00 Ml/d)Leakage Detection Stage 4 (10.00 Ml/d)Mid-Cheshire Groundwater (5.00 Ml/d)

Mains Replacement Stage 1 (1.00 Ml/d)Domestic ‘visit and fix’ home audits (1.40 Ml/d)

Leakage Detection Stage 5 (10.00 Ml/d)Manchester Ship Canal (10.00 Ml/d)

Retrofit dual flush toilets (0.86 Ml/d)New reservoir at Borrowbeck (80.00 Ml/d)

Mains Replacement Stage 2 (1.00 Ml/d)River Ribble Abstraction (17.00 Ml/d)

Mains Replacement Stage 3 (1.00 Ml/d)Raw Water Transfer from Kielder Water (50.00 Ml/d)

Meter on change of occupancy (4.07 Ml/d)Meter high water users (1.25 Ml/d)

Pressure Reduction Stage 3 (0.30 Ml/d)Desalination from Mersey Estuary (20.00 Ml/d)

Meter non-households (0.88 Ml/d)Subsidised water butts (0.46 Ml/d)

Rainwater harvesting retrofit (0.10 Ml/d)

AISC (p/m3

AISC for theIntegrated Resource Zone

Is there enough water available?

1992

Is there enough water available?

1997

Is there enough water available?

2007

Certainty inyields?

1970’s

2000’s

Climate change effects?

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

Carlisle Resource Zone

North EdenResource Zone

West Cumbria Resource Zone

Integrated Resource Zone

Carlisle

Workington

Whitehaven

Penrith

Lancaster

BlackpoolPreston

Blackburn

Burnley

Southport

Wigan Bolton

Crewe

Macclesfield

Stockport

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

WarringtonLiverpoolBirkenhead

Oswestry

Barrow MorecambeBay

New sources in AMP4

New GW sources in (AMP5/AMP6)

Rationalisation and development AMP5/AMP6

?

Back to the Future?...Implementing the WRMP

Detailed appraisal of optionsCombined strategy – demand reduction + enhancementsMagnitude of climate change scenariosRobust and reliable long-term solutionsGroundwater development – historical legacies – GWQWFD – uncertainty?Water resources managementSustainability, sustainability, sustainability!

Thank you for listening!