TAKE NOTICE that due to a serious water shortage (or a threat thereof) in the Colliford Water Resource Zone ("WRZ") caused by an exceptional shortage of rain, South West Water Limited ("SWW") of Peninsula House, Rydon Ln, Exeter EX2 7HR is applying to the Environment Agency for a drought permit at Porth Reservoir and Rialton Intake ("the Drought Permit") under section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991.

SWW is licensed to abstract water from River Porth for supply to customers under abstraction licence number 15/49/272/S/9 dated 31 March 1966 and revised on 22 October 1984, and the Newquay and District Water Order 1957 (together "the Porth Licence").

Operations under the Porth Licence ceased in 1999 and the water treatment works at Rialton was decommissioned. SWW would now like to recommence abstracting under the Porth Licence as part of their drought planning and water resource management for the Colliford WRZ.

Under the Porth Licence, SWW is allowed to abstract a maximum quantity of water from River Porth of up to 8,196 cubic metres per day, subject to a maximum annual abstraction volume of 2,300,310 cubic metres and a prescribed minimum flow of the River Porth at the Rialton intake of 0.006 cubic metres per second. SWW is also required to make a continuous compensation flow release from the Porth Reservoir of 0.0184 cubic metres per second.

The Drought Permit application will involve a temporary variation to the Porth Licence until 6 June 2023 to introduce an additional abstraction point at Porth Reservoir to provide flexibility for SWW to abstract from either Porth Reservoir or/and the Rialton intake, up to the daily maximum abstraction volume collectively.

SWW also propose to increase the compensation flow from 0.0184 cubic metres per second to at least 0.061 cubic metres per second. If necessary, SWW will also make supply releases from the Porth Reservoir of up to 5,370 cubic metres per day. There will be no change to the daily and annual abstraction limits.

The Drought Permit, if granted, will allow SWW to abstract water from Porth Reservoir and the Rialton intake for public water supply and for the purposes of refilling Colliford Reservoir. SWW is applying for this Drought Permit to reduce the risk of drought permits or orders being required in Spring/Summer 2023, and to assist the recovery of water supply resources in Colliford WRZ which have been excessively depleted as a result of drought. This Drought Permit will assist with the maintenance of water supply across Colliford WRZ, thereby reducing risk to supply in 2023.

SWW will show that the deficiency of water supply or a threat thereof relates to an "exceptional shortage of rainfall" within the Drought Permit application.

Anyone may inspect the proposals, free of charge, at:

• South West Water Head Office, Peninsula House, Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7HR (9am – 5pm Mon-Fri).

• Sir John Moore House, Omaha Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1EB (9am – 5pm Mon-Fri).

• St Columb Minor Post Office, 222 Henver Road, Newquay TR7 3EH (8.00am – 5.30pm Mon-Fri and 8.00am – 1pm Sat.

• Application documents will be hosted at https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/advice-and-services/save-water/hosepipeban/

Objections may be made in writing to the Environment Agency at:

Water Resources Permitting Support Centre, Environment Agency, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Parkway Business Park, Sheffield S9 4WF. Email address: PSC-WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Objectors should state the grounds of the objection and provide an address or email address to which correspondence relating to the objection may be sent.

The Environment Agency will pass to SWW a copy of any objection it receives.

Objections should be made immediately and in any event by 23:59 on 1 December 2022

Dr Lisa Gahan, Group Director of Regulatory, Strategy and Asset Management For and on behalf of South West Water Limited

24 November 2022