Customers and community groups are being invited to see how Southern Water plans to keep taps and rivers flowing in the county for years to come when a public consultation opens.

The company said the region could run out of water "within the next ten years" without the changes included in its plan.

Southern Water's new draft Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) will be accessible online from Wednesday, September 11, ahead of a series of public meetings this autumn.

People are invited to give feedback before the consultation closes on Wednesday, December 4.

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Lawrence Gosden, chief executive officer of Southern Water, said: “The South East has one of the fastest growing populations in the UK and we’re already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with extreme weather and increased risk of droughts.

“If we are to overcome these challenges we need to take significant action and make required investment now, in order to create new robust and resilient water supplies for us and future generations.

“We currently predict that we will run out of water within the next ten years without the interventions we’ve included in our plan – impacting our everyday lives, the ability of businesses that provide our vital services and our environment. A transformational period in the water industry is under way and I would welcome the involvement of our communities in sharing their views."

The draft plan includes:

  • The use of new technology, such as sensors, AI and new water mains, to reduce leakage.
  • Plans to cut daily average dry year water use to 110 litres per person by 2045 (equivalent to 100 litres per person in a normal year).
  • A targeted nine per cent reduction in business water use by 2038.
  • The introduction of four water recycling schemes by 2035 to turn treated wastewater into purified recycled water that can be used as a source for drinking water supplies.
  • Increasing pipelines to transfer water from new sources and more it around our network to where it is needed most.

During October and early November, Southern Water is holding a number of drop-in events across the county and webinars to hear from the team and learn about the proposals.