Q&A

Yes, we have recognised that aggregation is first step in this type of marketing. We use various approaches to aggregate farmers and land owners in the Northwest. Some direct approaches include events, workshops, online portals, hubs, market platforms etc. We also work with different catchment partners who closely work with farming communities to approach already established farming communities in designated areas. We work together with collaborators/marketing expertise and explore opportunities to form new working groups.

Responsibility for the environment is widely spread and we need to ensure we don’t fall into a trap of delivering in silo’s. Catchments exist as a system and we want to engage all the relevant communities and stakeholders to help address the challenges they face. Delivering the greatest overall environmental outcomes in the most sustainable way. This is why we support catchment operation but in order to deliver this effectively good partnerships are needed with many organisations that are responsible for different elements of the environment.

A CaST approach encourages us to look at the catchment holistically, understanding the key challenges, risks and opportunities. In doing so we are able to identify appropriate partners from a range of sectors including NGO’s, private business, corporations, agricultural sector and regulators, that provide solutions to share risk and investment, offering multiple benefits for society and community. It is important to keep a strong focus on why a healthy environment is important and the benefits it provides society.

Responsibility for the environment is widely spread and we need to ensure we don’t fall into a trap of delivering in silo’s. Catchments exist as a system and we want to engage all the relevant communities and stakeholders to help address the challenges they face. Delivering the greatest overall environmental outcomes in the most sustainable way. This is why we support catchment operation but in order to deliver this effectively good partnerships are needed with many organisations that are responsible for different elements of the environment.

A CaST approach encourages us to work with partners to share resource to deliver environmental benefits. By identifying the key needs of a catchment, keys risks and partners, we’re able to deliver the right outcomes for the environment. Through co-delivering a range of innovative projects, we’re able to learn with partners, understanding barriers and how to overcome these, driving progress in future ways of working.

A CaST approach is a new way of thinking. It applies learnings from our innovative Sustainable Catchment Management Plan (SCaMP), taking into consideration catchment land not owed by United Utilities, and considering catchments and the water environmental more holistically, beyond just enhancing water quality. Through continually striving for innovative solutions to environmental challenges, we’re able to work with partners to integrate risks, share challenges and opportunities and ultimately move towards addressing long-term issues. More still, through CaST we utilises natural capital decision making in our planning approaches, ensuring we consider wider benefits to solutions, changing the way we consider our approach to the environment. We’re working with partners to understand and broaden how we use natural capital decision making, allowing us to think differently to drive change.

A CaST approach is about the right solution in the right place with the right partners. This may be focused on agricultural interventions but it may be an end of pipe solution. What is important is that we assess and understand the full system to ensure the option we deliver achieves the greatest benefit at the most efficient cost.

Yes. Although nature based solutions are an integral aspect of the CaST approach, CaST encourages us to consider the best solution to meet a challenge, delivering the best outcome for the environment and communities. In certain instances the best solution for a community and the environment may be a more conventional approach. The key aspect of CaST is that we will consider the challenge, balance the needs of the environment and communities and will deliver the right solution in the right place that delivers efficiency and value.

Through our DWMP we’re looking to identify and develop a pipeline of partnership opportunities. We’re working with risk management authorities (RMA’s) and other catchment partners to understand where we might have shared risk in relation to flooding and shared opportunity to resolve through a collaborative solution. If you’re an RMA or work in the catchment and want to get involved please email us at DWMP@uuplc.co.uk.

A drought plan sets out the actions a water company will take to protect water supplies in the event of a drought. Drought plans detail the actions that we would consider taking at each drought level, and what these drought levels are. Drought plans are updated every five years and written in line with guidance from our regulators, as well as extensive consultation with a variety of stakeholders.