Water, wastewater and drainage policy: consultation

6. Paying for services

In this document we have set out the changes that will be necessary to ensure that Scotland continues to benefit from high quality services whilst adapting to the changing climate. We have set out the problems the industry faces together with the possible solutions.

Overall, as we adapt to climate change and better protect our environment, we will need to invest more to protect and enhance our services. Alongside greater investment we all have a part to play by using less water, thinking about what is flushed down into the sewers and taking actions to reduce the amount of rainwater that we put into the sewer.

We need to collect and drain rainwater differently from wastewater to reduce the impacts of climate change. We need a combination of new blue-green and grey infrastructure to be built and maintained in partnership with Local Authorities and Scottish Water. To ensure that there is greater clarity in how customers charges are used, we propose that we define three services: water, wastewater and drainage of rainwater with each service cost being clearly shown. This would make it clearer how we are investing your money.

In Scotland, 97% of people are connected to the public water supply and 93% to public wastewater services provided by Scottish Water. Payment for these services is billed separately but collected alongside your Council Tax. The charges are based on Council Tax Bands not the amounts of water used, or wastewater removed. This means that charges are based on a rising scale depending on your house band and a range of discounts can be applied to protect certain groups of people, including those on the lowest incomes.

Businesses pay for water and wastewater services by reference to meters. This is because different types of businesses use different amounts of water. Businesses already pay for drainage services, this includes draining rainwater from their premises and a general charge for draining roads. This is calculated based on their Rateable Value.

Questions

32. To what extent do you agree that changing our behaviours is essential to limit charge rises?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree

33. Do you agree that we should recognise that there are three services (water, wastewater and drainage)?

• Yes/No

34. Do you agree that using Council Tax Bands is the fairest way to charge for services used by households?

• Yes/No
• Other [free text]

35. In your view, how do we incentivise households/businesses to reduce water usage to levels that are sustainable for Scotland?

• [free text]

36. In your view, how could we incentivise households/businesses to manage rainwater differently to reduce rainwater entering the sewer system to levels that are sustainable for Scotland?

• [free text]

37. To what extent do you agree that all households and businesses should pay for roads to be drained?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• [free text]