To make sure there’s enough water to go round, we need your help.

There are many ways you can join the thousands of people, pulling together across the South West, to protect our water. Every drop counts. View more opportunities to save water.

A reduced rate will apply to infrastructure charges for developments which meet the specified criteria.

Sustainable water infrastructure charge

Qualifying criteria - where you can demonstrate, using the building regulations calculator that properties are built with water efficient fittings and fixed appliances that mean water usage would not exceed the potential consumption of 110 litres per person, per day. Discount offered We are offering to reduce the water infrastructure charge by up to 75% dependent upon the level of reduction that the customer can achieve. The discount is based upon our estimate of the proportion of our network infrastructure that could be avoided if all developments in the long term met between 95 and 110 litres/person/day rather than the 125 litres/person/day currently expected in the relevant Building Regulations. It is noted that some Planning Authorities have already introduced a 110 litres/person/day requirement in advance of anticipated changes to Building Regulations.

In summary the proposed scheme for 2024/25 will incentivise developer customers to reduce the water usage of new properties by offering:

75% reduction of the infrastructure charge if 95 litres/person/day is achieved.
50% reduction of the infrastructure charge if 100 litres/person/day is achieved.
0% reduction of infrastructure charge if the current Building Regulation standard of 110 litres/person/day is achieved.

This is available to all site developments which are significant enough to require network reinforcement, regardless of whether the applicant is a developer, Self Lay Providers or New Appointee.

Additional notes:-

Applications for this scheme will need to be submitted at the same time as the application for the relevant service. Late or retrospective applications for the sustainable infrastructure charge cannot be accepted onto the scheme. Note that your site will be audited to verify the fixtures and fittings included in the application to ensure compliance.

Should we establish through audit that the fixtures and fittings do not comply with the accepted calculator or specifications, we will notify you and reserve the right to charge full infrastructure charges for the property which failed the audit and remaining plots on site which are not yet connected.

Where a developer fails two audits we will liaise with the applicant and discuss their eligibility for future availability of this reduction.

Sustainable sewage infrastructure charge

We will also incentivise developers to keep surface water out of our sewerage networks by offering up to 30% reduction in the wastewater infrastructure charge if they are able to demonstrate that they have removed surface water flows from existing impermeable areas, that already discharge into our sewerage network, thereby providing an overall nett reduction of surface water from the development site into our sewerage networks. It is proposed that early engagement is made with our Developer Services team for all developments that would wish to claim the incentive so that we can proactively work together to review the site runoff values prior to commencement on site. South West Water supports the Planning Policy Guidance for Flood Risk & Coastal Change statement that developments should aim to discharge surface runoff as high up the hierarchy of drainage options as reasonably practicable:

Discharge into the ground (infiltration); or where not reasonably practicable,
Discharge to a surface waterbody; or where not reasonably practicable,
Discharge to a surface water sewer, highway drain, or another drainage system; or where not reasonably practicable,
Discharge to a combined sewer. As this a requirement of planning, an incentivisation to do this is not available. South West Water will be looking into options for incentivisation in the future.

If you wish to discuss this further, please contact our team on 0800 083 1821.

Charging arrangements