Mark Bowden, head of water resilience and emergency planning at Jersey Water, tells Emily Moore why small, repeatable habits can make a big difference to local supplies
IF there is one topic that British people are good at talking about, it is the weather, and with the Island having seen everything from storms to droughts this year, there has been even more meteorological material to discuss than usual.
But while many of our conversations may focus on the temperature or whether we can complete an errand without getting caught in a downpour, one utility firm is hoping to focus Islanders’ thoughts on the impact that the weather – and our own lifestyle habits – is having on our water supplies.
Acknowledging that such behaviours are often influenced by, or linked to, the weather, Mark Bowden, head of water resilience and emergency planning at Jersey Water, said people often naturally used higher levels of this “precious resource” during the summer than at other times of the year.
“Water use and behaviours in society have changed, and we have seen particularly high levels of demand over the summer, driven by the extreme heat that we’ve had,” he said. “In fact, the demand this summer has been some of the highest we have seen in the past 20 years.
“Of course, it is understandable that people take more showers and water their gardens more when the weather is warm and dry, but that extra use places pressure on the Island’s water system.”
And that, Mark adds, could be particularly problematic if a long, dry summer is followed by a dry winter.
“Normally, we expect the water in our reservoirs to recharge in the winter when we tend to see more rainfall,” he said. “However, it is a well-worn saying that the weather we are seeing at the moment is the least extreme that we are likely to experience in our lifetimes, and we expect summers to get drier and hotter and rainfall patterns to become uncertain. Therefore, if we had a dry winter immediately after a dry summer, there would be a real risk of shortages.”
As such a prospect could become a reality, Mark says it is vital that people consider their water use throughout the year and “make habits that stick”.
“We have to view water as a precious and finite resource,” he stressed. “At the moment, I think that a lot of the time, we take water for granted and expect everything to work and to be there all the time. And, of course, Jersey Water has a responsibility to provide a resilient service, but we also need Islanders to play their part.”
The need for this collective effort is highlighted within the utility firm’s latest Water Resources and Drought Management Plan, which says that, in a “worst-case drought scenario, the Island could face a water deficit of up to 8.6 million litres per year by 2035”.
It is, as Mark admits, a “big headline number” but he emphasises that that forecast is very much based on a “worst-case scenario”.
“As we strive to maintain resilient water supplies in the future, we look at what the demand for water is likely to be, the amount we can reliably supply in a serious drought event and how we could plug that gap in the event of a deficit or surplus,” he said. “Accordingly, we are putting in place plans to plug that gap and invest in our infrastructure, but resilience works both ways and we need Islanders to meet us in the middle by changing their water use and understanding that this is a finite resource.”
Some of these changes, he says, are very simple.
“We are looking at small, repeatable habits,” he said. “If a lot of people switch off the tap while brushing their teeth and knock a minute off the length of their shower, that will make a big difference to the overall demand. We have seen a great response to our campaigns over the summer, but we need to maintain those behaviours and, as the utility firm, we need to help build that awareness, so that people understand the challenges we are facing with climate change and how small changes can make a big difference.
“For example, if everyone saved ten litres of water a day, the overall saving would be a million litres of water a day, and that can be achieved through those simple behaviours, such as turning off taps and reducing the length of our showers.”
While there are several steps that individuals can take, there are also several bigger pieces of work to which Jersey Water has committed.
“Our long-term planning looks 40 years into the future but, in the short term, we are going to invest in a significant upgrade of our desalination plant at La Rosiére,” Mark said. “Parts of that site are more than 50 years old, so it is time to renew some of it. We are also increasing the maximum output of the site by 50% and making it more reliable, so that when we call on the plant to bolster our position and boost our water resources, it is ready to run.”
And the company is not just focusing on the supply side of the equation.
“The demand side is just as important,” added Mark, “which is why we are investing in leak detection and repair technologies, so that we can find leaks faster and repair them quickly.”
While keen to enhance this area, Mark says the company already has an “enviable” track record when it comes to leaks.
“Our leakage record is by far the best of any water company in the British Isles,” he said, “something which we manage by having a dedicated leak detection team. Our metering system enables us to measure the flow of water all around the Island, so we can see where there are unexpected increases in flow and then we can use our technology to find the leaks if they are not visible.”
This is just one example, says Mark, of the ways in which the utility firm is using technology to support its service delivery and enhance its resilience.
“Data is hugely important to us, and we collect everything from rainfall data to streamflow information, which enables us to look at how rainfall affects streamflow,” he said. “When it comes to leaks, we also use acoustic instruments to help us detect and locate problems on the network.”
Data is also critical, says Mark, when it comes to measuring the quality of the Island’s water.
“When we think about future water supply, it’s not just a question of quantity but also of quality, as a healthy water system is one that is trusted by its customers,” he said. “Again, Jersey Water has an excellent reputation here, and Jersey water is among the best water available.
“While there may be a problem of perception around the water quality, our results speak for themselves and the levels of PFAS in our water are substantially below the standards set by the World Health Organization and the UK government’s Drinking Water Inspectorate.
“We are also running some pilot tests around PFAS treatment at the moment to identify the most appropriate sustainable technology to use should the Island tighten its water quality standards.”
Linked to this, Mark says that in addition to expanding the desalination plant, Jersey Water has three key objectives which it wants to deliver over the next five years.
“Trusted water is one of those,” he said. “We also want to ensure that we have enough water for the Island under any conditions. And our third goal is to be resilient to any of the shocks and stresses that our company may face.
“We are living in uncertain times, so we need to prepare for that uncertain future, minimise any problems and make sure that any disruption to the service is rectified as quickly as possible.”
Saying that climate change is “the biggest challenge of our generation”, Mark added: “Whether it’s drought, flooding or storm events, I think those challenges are going to become more prevalent, and that’s where resilience comes in.”
The Island has faced challenges with extreme storm events over recent years, and everyone will remember Storm Ciarán and Storm Goretti, two occasions when the Island really pulled together and responded as a collective. But societal resilience to these challenges needs to increase as well, and that means everyone, from individuals and families to infrastructure companies and emergency services, has to step up to increase our preparedness, help one another and take responsibility.”
Referencing the example of Cape Town, which recognised in 2017 that it was in danger of running out of water and drove down water use, in some cases to around eight litres per person per day, Mark said that such “extreme cuts” were not on the agenda here but that people did need to be “conscious about their usage”.
“Currently, every person in Jersey uses an average of 116 litres per day, but people massively underestimate the amount of water that they use,” he said. “If you have a power shower, for example, you will be using 15 litres or more water per minute, which just shows the difference that the length of a shower can make.
“That’s why I would urge everyone to remember that water is precious, and that resilience is something that we build together. Jersey Water has a clear responsibility to plan, to invest and to operate the system well but customers also have an important role to play. Small, everyday choices really do matter, especially when they become normal habits.
Therefore, I would urge everyone to use the water you need, but not to waste the water the Island may need later.”
To listen to the full interview with Mark Bowden, click below or visit Bailiwick Podcasts
https://theinterview.transistor.fm/episodes/the-interview-jersey-water-we-have-to-view-water-as-a-precious-and-finite-resource