Kids and customers get help as watchdog updates pandemic position

• The Environment Agency published an update last week on its operations during Covid 19. This included links to two regulatory position statements for the water industry: one on sampling and the other on the storage of treated sewage sludge.

• SES Water today launched a new educational website help primary school children learn more about the importance of water, climate change and biodiversity during the lockdown. Flow Zone contains interactive games, practical activities, experiments and a competition. There is also information and advice throughout the site encouraging water efficiency and highlighting the environmental and cost benefits of saving water in the home. Children can also find out about what water workers do and why they are classed as key workers in the current crisis.

• Northumbrian Water said almost 32,000 people are now receiving financial support, including more than 3,000 payment breaks for customers and over 28,000 bill reductions and discounts of up to 50%. Almost 13,000 are receiving financial support from Essex & Suffolk Water. Each arm of the group also reported around 800 households have been added to their priority services register since the beginning of March.