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Water

Airports use significant quantities of water, mainly for construction projects, sanitation and catering. Airport operations also generate considerable volumes of surface runoff and wastewater that, if they contain pollutants, have the potential to impact on the quality of water courses and the wildlife they support.

As Heathrow's owner, we manage Heathrow's water consumption carefully. We do this by:

  • Monitoring water use
  • Checking for leaks
  • Setting water efficiency targets
  • Including water efficient technologies in all new buildings
  • Encouraging water conservation in existing buildings, retrofitting water saving devices where appropriate.

Because Heathrow is covered by hard surfaces such as buildings and tarmac, when it rains large amounts of runoff increase the risk of flooding. We manage land at Heathrow to reduce the risk of flooding, for example by conducting flood risk assessments and adapting drainage systems. We also monitor runoff and wastewater discharge to check for harmful substances and treat any that is not suitable for direct discharge to water courses.

Our strategy

We manage water issues at Heathrow through the following objectives:

1. Prevent pollution entering our reservoirs through upstream controls

2011 target: Deploy the de-icer recovery vehicles for 90% of operational time during winter operations.

key actions

  1. Review our pollution prevention practices.
  2. Review our oil storage inventory and ensure compliance.

2. Maintain water-critical assets to ensure integrity and prevent pollution

key actions

  1. Include all critical parts of the surface water system in the asset stewardship.
  2. Ensure that site specific contingency plans are in place for all critical parts of the pollution control system
  3. Establish a COMAH plan for our fuel farm and update plans as new assets are added to the PCS during winter 2010/11.

3. Manage water flows and levels to minimise the risk of flooding and support amenity use of our reservoirs

4. Reduce the use of potable water against business-as-usual forecast

2011 target: Set a long-term water reduction target and/or % of water reused or recycled.

key actions

  1. Implement a programme of leak detection and improvement.
  2. Review technical design standards for water intensive assets.
  3. Optimise the Terminal 5 rainwater recycling facility.

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