Nutrient Neutrality - Position Statement December 2022

Ensuring that our rivers and habitats are protected from any harmful increase in nutrients is important to United Utilities. We understand that in the northwest region, nutrient phosphate is of primary concern for rivers in Cumbria whilst nitrogen and phosphate nutrients impact rivers in Cheshire.

The detail of future requirements for wastewater companies are being considered as part of the emerging Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. This proposes a legislative duty for wastewater companies to deliver the best available technology to treat relevant nutrients at wastewater treatment works, which discharge into protected sites that are in an unfavourable condition by 2030. The wastewater treatment works that this new duty will apply to are still being considered as the bill progresses through parliament.  We are currently developing options in line with the expected new requirements on wastewater companies.

With regards to new development proposals, we are supporting the Local Planning Authorities, who are leading on this matter with their stakeholders, whilst seeking to understand any role we may have in the credit mitigation scheme proposed by Natural England.  We have received a number of requests for information and it is now clear that developers only need to contact United Utilities to confirm which wastewater treatment works their proposed development will be draining to. The Local Planning Authorities have links on their websites which confirm which wastewater treatment works fall within or discharge to a nutrient neutrality area.  They also provide a nutrient neutrality methodology, catchment specific calculators and an updated catchment map to assist developers with their applications.  Applicants must ensure they check both the catchment map and whether the receiving wastewater treatment works is named within the tables on the links within the LPA websites.