Environmental information

This is defined in the Regulations at 2(1) which states:

2. - (1) In these Regulations

“environmental information” has the same meaning as in Article 2(1) of the Directive, namely any information in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form on - 

(a) the state of the elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements;

(b) factors, such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment referred to in (a);

(c) measures (including administrative measures), such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in (a) and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements;

(d) reports on the implementation of environmental legislation;

(e) cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used within the framework of the measures and activities referred to in (c); and

(f) the state of human health and safety, including the contamination of the food chain, where relevant, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures inasmuch as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment referred to in (a) or, through those elements, by any of the matters referred to in (b) and (c);

Before you ask for any information we would encourage you to look at what we already make available.

Northumbrian Water are leading an initiative called Stream.

Stream is working to stimulate innovation and collaboration through open and shared data. Our vision is to unlock the potential of water data to benefit customers, society, and the environment and to use data to address key water sector challenges. You can access data published here.

We also already publish the following data:

A request made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 can be made verbally or in writing.

However, a request made in writing will help us to deal more efficiently with your request. You may send your request by:

• Completing our online form (opens new window). Using this form is the quickest and most efficient way for us to process your request   
• Emailing EIR@nwl.co.uk    
• Calling our customer care team on 0345 733 5566
• Contacting any department within the business
• Writing to us at Information Access Team, Legal Department, Northumbria House, Abbey Road, Pity Me, Durham, DH1 5FJ
• Asking one of our employees verbally

We’ll deal with your request as quickly as possible and within the required 20 working days. Where a request is particularly lengthy, or complex, we may need to extend to 40 working days.

While we always do our best to answer requests, in some cases there may be a good reason for not doing so.

The Regulations set out these exceptions. Some relate to the category of the information, such as, unfinished documents or internal communications. Other exceptions are based on the harm that would arise from disclosure, for example, if releasing the information would adversely affect international relations or intellectual property rights. There is also an exception for personal data if providing it would be contrary to the UK General Data Protection Regulations (the UK GDPR) or the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018).

We may also refuse requests if the information is reasonably accessible by other means or if the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting the information would be deemed unreasonable. Where this is the case, we will off you advice and assistance to help you refine your request to bring it within this limit.

If there is a reason why we can’t provide all the information that you have requested, we will explain the reason in our response. We’ll also tell you how to appeal if you disagree with our decision.

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled you can ask for a review of our decision.

You’ll need to contact us no more than 40 working days after you’ve received our response to your request at EIR@nwl.co.uk

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

You can also contact the ICO through the ‘Make a Complaint’ section of the ICO website.

Northumbrian Water ensures that 100% of requests are responded to within statutory timescales. This compliance rate has been maintained since 2015.

You can check and download an up-to-date Water Quality Summary Report.

By entering your postcode within Your local area of our website. The report will show the results of samples taken from customer taps in your area. The report also provides some additional information about the substances which are tested, including some which are naturally occurring.

Northumbrian Water in line with the strict guidelines of the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). All test results are within the required parameters as set out in The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016. Most of the parameters included in the Water Quality Summary Report occur naturally. Parameters such as Chlorine (Free and Total), Fluoride and pH will be influenced by our treatment processes.

Fluoride is added to the water supply in some areas during the treatment process in line with the strict guidelines of the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

Where fluoride is added to your water, it is on the instructions of the Department for Health and Social Care, based on statutory powers derived from the Water Act 1991. Their website is here. 

Our statutory requirements for dosing levels are based on the information and research carried out by the WHO. Northumbrian Water cannot comment on any UK government bodies, the WHO or any of their research. 

The presence of PFAS chemicals (poly and perfluorinated alkyl substances) in both raw water and in drinking water is monitored by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) as statutory regulator.

This is specifically governed by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (the Water Regs). Reg. 27(1) of the 2016 Regs. provides that water undertakers, such as Northumbrian Water, must carry out a risk assessment of each water treatment works and connected supply system. Reg. 27(3) further provides that the undertaker must keep its risk assessments under continuous review. Reg. 28 then provides that the undertaker must submit these risk assessments to the Secretary of State.

You can read more about our strategy on the DWI’s website here.

Please note that this is a dynamic area and is subject to change as we find out more about this topic.

Please see our page Sewer pipe responsibility to read a full breakdown of which pipes Northumbrian Water is responsible for and what then remains the responsibility of homeowners.

Storm overflows (SOs) are a critical part of our sewer network.

They are designed to operate as a relief valve during times of heavy rainfall, to help protect the homes of our customers from sewer flooding. During and after heavy rainfall conditions, with permission from the Environment Agency (EA), storm overflows discharge what is mostly rainwater, mixed with some of the contents of our sewer network. We monitor these spills closely, report on them to the EA and publish the results on our website. The SOs are permitted by the EA and we comply with these permits.

In April 2024 we launched our Storm Overflows map which provides a near real time display of the locations of all our Bathing Waters, Storm Outfalls and Storm Overflows in the North East, as well as their Spill Status. We’ve chosen to show these key points, as we believe this is what our customers will be interested in most.

Northumbrian Water proactively assess the capacity at each of our Sewage Treatment Works as and when development requests are received into the business.

Whilst any new development will take up spare capacity, once our trigger limit for dry weather flow assessment is reached, a review of the sewage treatment process and its capacity would take place. If it was then required, further investment into the network would take place to increase the capacity. 

Northumbrian Water is not a statutory consultee for considering planning applications for new housing developments and as such, we do not have the authority to refuse a housing development scheme. We would provide comments using the appropriate channels which are then taken into consideration before approval is granted.

You can see our published Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP) using this link which allows you to look at a specific area of your choice. Each area of the DWMP has its own plan.

You may find this useful too: Roles-and-responsibilities-May2024.

We are privileged to provide water and wastewater services to the communities we serve in the North East, Essex and Suffolk.

We must continually improve our business to make sure these essential services can continue to be enjoyed by customers in the long-term and that we can deliver the improvements that Government, regulators, and our customers want to see.

Please use this link to see more: Shaping our future

We also welcome anyone to view our published PR24 Business Plan for 2025 to 2030 here.