Southern Water Pledge Tree

With water metering arriving in Brighton and Hove this month we are asking residents to present a water efficient pledge.

Underneath a unique Christmas tree at the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink, Brighton, visitors can find a number of pledge presents that can help them become more water efficient.

The Southern Water Pledge Tree was designed to help inform residents about the importance of saving water.

The interactive tree, created from water bottles, represents average household usage and will provide information about how to use this resource efficiently and effectively.

People can view pictures or upload your own photo of the Southern Water Pledge Tree by visiting  www.facebook.com/SWPledgeTree.

Earlier this year, following two dry winters, the South East was declared to be in drought. For the first time in six years, we introduced measures, such as restricting the use of hosepipes in Sussex and Kent, to help protect supplies. The continuous unexpected wet weather that followed allowed underground aquifers to recharge, which is unusual during the summer months, but the two dry winters did highlight the scarcity of a precious resource which is so regularly taken for granted.

When completed in 2015, our five-year metering project to install nearly 500,000 water meters across Kent, Sussex and Hampshire could save 30 million litres of water a day – more than enough to meet the needs of Worthing, Eastbourne and Bognor Regis combined. Furthermore, we are installing meters which automatically detect leaks in customers’ pipes – the first of their kind in theUK– to save a further seven million litres a day.

Water meters encourage customers to use less water by, for example, turning off the tap while brushing their teeth, because with meters customers pay for every unit they use instead of being charged according to the rateable value of their homes.

Metering installation teams began work in west Hove in November and will work their way across the city from west to east, installing more than 74,000 meters by next October. Teams will work on a street-by-street basis and customers will have the opportunity to talk to Southern Water Customer Service staff face-to-face when their meter is installed to ask questions and receive advice.

To find out more about metering in Brighton and Hove, please visit www.yourwatermeter.co.uk or call Southern Water’s Metering Call Centre on 03332003013.