Water plan sent to minister

From the archive, first published Tuesday 5th Dec 2006.

Bradford-based Yorkshire Water believes it is ahead of the game in drawing up ways to reduce water pollution and wastage.

A ten-point plan has been handed to Environment Minister Ian Pearson by environmental groups and fishermen calling for new measures to help the UK meet European standards for water management by 2015.

A Yorkshire Water spokes-man said: "Yorkshire Water promotes water conservation at all times and has recently undertaken a very well received campaign - Flower Power - to raise awareness of this vital issue.

"We also work hard to reduce leakage and have met the leakage targets set by our regulator, Ofwat, since

they were introduced nine years ago.

"Over the last ten years we've reduced leakage by almost 50 per cent and this

summer, when other parts of the country were experiencing water restrictions, supplies in Yorkshire were fine.

"Yorkshire Water is also upgrading a number of waste water treatment works, including Esholt, with about £240 million being spent over the next few years to ensure river water quality is as high as possible."

Paul King, director of campaigns at WWF-UK, said: "We are setting out a clear programme of action the Government must take in order to meet agreed Euro-pean standards by 2015.

"We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the neglect of our water resources and freshwater environment."