Representation by Anglian Water Services (Anglian Water Services)
- Date submitted
- 31 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Anglian Water Services Limited (Anglian Water) is the statutory undertaker for water and sewerage services in the application area. Jacobs UK Limited is supporting Anglian Water as an Interested Party in this examination. Anglian Water has already discussed the protective provisions with the applicant which they have included in Schedule 15 Part 4 of the draft DCO (For the Protection of Anglian Water Services Limited). In addition, with respect to Schedule 2 (requirements) of the Draft DCO, we note that under paragraph 10 (1) Anglian Water is listed as a consultee for any Local Planning Authority discharge of requirements in relation to drainage plans and surface water discharge. Any impacted Anglian Water assets need to be identified and either diverted or protected. In terms of the book of reference, Anglian water is listed in 15 plots, all of these plots are for rights in respect of apparatus which is assumed to relate to pipeline assets rather than any Anglian Water above ground land holdings. If this is the case, all of this can be covered in the protective provision agreements. Anglian Water notes that the Environmental Statement submitted with the application advises the following with respect to the demand on Anglian Water services: • During construction it is assumed that an estimated 2,200m3 of water (1,700m3 for welfare and 500m3 for wheel washes) will be required during construction to support welfare facilities onsite and other uses. The water will either be transported to the Order limits by road from an existing nearby licenced water abstraction source and stored on site in tanks of up to 10m3 capacity (10,000 litres) or connected through a mains connection located on the A156. • Should there be a fire in the BESS Compound, then water would be obtained from a mains connection at the A4156. It has been determined that a supply of 1,900 litres per minute of water would be required. Given that this supply would be for an emergency event for which the probability of occurrence would be low given best practice management of the Scheme, it is assumed that this would not have a significant impact on Anglian Water’s potable water resource. At the time of writing (January 2023), a Point of Connection (PoC) application is being progressed with Anglian Water for this connection and to confirm the availability of supply. Should this approach not be suitable, then tanks of water would be located within the Solar and Energy Storage Park to store the necessary volume needed for firefighting purposes within the BESS Compound. • During operation, there will be welfare facilities associated with the Scheme for up to 14 permanent full time equivalent (FTE) members of staff. Given the low daily occupancy only small volumes of foul drainage will be generated. Wastewater from permanent welfare facilities will consist of a self-contained independent non-mains domestic storage and/or treatment system. An alternative where this is not possible, would be for a self-contained foul drainage system to a septic tank or similar. These tanks would be regularly emptied under contract with a registered recycling and waste management contractor. As there would be no discharge of foul water to a watercourse, and no discharge to the public foul sewer is anticipated, no further assessment of foul waste from the Scheme is proposed. We note that in the Scoping Opinion (see ES Volume 3: Appendix 1-B [EN010131/APP/3.3]), the Planning Inspectorate was content to scope this impact out on the basis that foul water would not be connected to a mains foul drainage system. Anglian Water will discuss this further with the applicant and agree a Statement of Common Ground in due course to agree the following. • For construction activities until a promoter or other non-household developer enters into an agreement with AWS it cannot be assumed that a supply will be available. • The availability of water for firefighting purposes sits outside the non-household water supply regulatory position and so would be provided by AWS provided of course that the developer funds the connection and agrees this is for firefighting only unless the connection agreement is in place for the construction &/or operational phases. • Its not evident if a water supply is required for operational phases. As the summary is silent on this and no wastewater connection is required AWS will need to seek confirmation that no ongoing supply for welfare purposes is required during the operational phase.