We have 18 potential drought permit and drought order sites. These are sites where, in the event of a drought, we’d need to vary the conditions of our abstraction licences in order to maintain water supplies to our customers. As part of our planning and preparation for drought events, we are carrying out environmental studies for all of these sites. These will ensure we understand the potential environmental impacts of any drought powers that may be required and have an approach to minimise, mitigate and monitor these. Five of the sites have been completed - at Ullswater, Windermere, Lune, Ennerdale and Crummock.
In early 2008 we initiated plans to undertake environmental studies for the 13 remaining drought permit sites at Longdendale, Rivington (two sites), Jumbles, Delph, Dovestone and Vyrnwy reservoirs and the Broughton A, Scales, Bowscar, Gamblesby, Cliburn and Tarn Wood boreholes. The studies have been split in to four groups and last August, we appointed the consultancy APEM to undertake them. The first project steering group meetings for all four projects have been held and draft scoping reports have been produced or are about to be. We want to complete the scoping phase by early summer this year, allowing the rest of the summer for any further data collection that may be required. The environmental studies are due to be completed by March 2010, although some may have to be delayed. An example of this is the Broughton study, due to our need to await the results of groundwater modelling being undertaken by the Environment Agency.
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