Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of indirect potable reuse schemes in improving London’s water supply resilience.

Water reuse (water recycling) plays a key role in helping to improve water supply resilience.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs).

Where selected in WRMPs, indirect potable reuse (water recycling) schemes have been fully assessed to ensure they form part of the best package of options across a region to manage supplies. They are subject to ongoing assessment through the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) programme to ensure appropriate design and permit.