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FAQ

What is water neutrality strategy?

Water neutrality is the idea of balancing the amount of water used or consumed with the amount of water restored or replenished in the same ecosystem. It aims to ensure that there is enough water to meet the needs of both people and the environment without overburdening ecosystems.

A water neutrality statement is a statement which provides evidence that a residential development will achieve water neutrality so that the total water use in the region after the development is equal to or less than the total water use before the development.

Water neutrality can be achieved through a combination of water usage reduction and water supply creation projects. For example, an office building that educates its staff on water conservation and uses a rooftop water collection system to capture rainwater is practicing water neutrality. Other methods include water reuse and offsetting.

Water neutrality is important because global water usage and consumption has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase over the past century. Many regions are approaching the limit of sustainable water resource delivery, especially in arid areas. Other factors that affect water availability include population growth, urbanization, climate change, extreme weather events, water mismanagement, and aging infrastructure.

How is water neutrality achieved?

Water neutrality is the principle of balancing the amount of water used with the amount of water restored or replenished in the same ecosystem. It’s similar to carbon neutrality, where the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere is balanced by an equivalent amount being removed.

What are water credits?

Water credits represent a fixed quantum of water that is conserved or generated and can be transacted between water deficit and water surplus entities within a sub-basin.

Who is Natural England?

Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on England’s natural environment. Their role is to protect, restore, and manage the environment for the benefit of people and wildlife, while also encouraging people to enjoy and get involved with their surroundings.

What is Natural England's water neutrality statement?

Information collected by Natural England shows that water abstraction for drinking water supplies may be having a negative impact on wildlife sites in the Arun Valley. Natural England has advised that any new development must show that it will not increase this impact.

How long will water neutrality affect planning in the Sussex North Water Supply Zone?

The implication for developers in these areas particularly within the next two to three years is that water neutrality will become a major consideration. The Environment Agency has stated in publications that it wants us to stop unsustainably mining water from as early as 2025 to 2050.