The water sector must take a “systems-thinking” approach to production, storage and distribution across boundaries, Southern Water’s chief executive has warned.
Demands on water are changing, and water scarcity is a reality, Ian McAulay told Utility Week.
“I think water usage in the future will be different,” he said. “Having lived around the world, where water reuse is common. I can see a different water world in the years ahead.”
“If we look at the South East, we have quite a number of water companies operating in the region, and water is no respecter of arbitrary boundaries drawn on maps,” he added. “We have to be looking in the future, how do we take a systems-thinking approach to water production, water storage and water distribution across boundaries.”
He suggested it would be difficult from an economic perspective to create a national water grid, as water is heavy, its unit cost is low and pumping costs are high.
“The cost of the infrastructure to lay large diameter transfer mains is huge,” said McAulay. “So it would take a pretty big change to get into a national water grid, and that’s not something I think the companies can do on their own.”
However, he said adopting more of a systems-thinking approach, and that companies should consider the water mass balance wider than just their own region.
Southern Water appointed McAulay to succeed Matthew Wright as chief executive in December last year. He took up the post on 1 January.
He was formerly chief executive of waste management company Viridor, but announced in September that he was leaving to “pursue other opportunities”.