Air Emissions

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At Pennon Group, we are committed to managing and reducing air emissions across all our operations. We monitor emissions in line with regulatory requirements and best practice, and we continue to invest in cleaner technologies and processes to reduce our impact on air quality.

Monitoring and Reporting

All our sites operate under strict environmental permit conditions set by our regulators, including the Environment Agency. Air emissions data is submitted to regulators as required, ensuring transparency and compliance.

We monitor a range of air pollutants across the Group, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and odorous emissions. These are reported annually in our ESG Databook 2024/25 to support transparency and track our performance over time.

For sites with standby generation, we conduct spot checks of stack emissions in line with the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD). We're also committed to meeting our environmental permits conditions under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), working with the Environment Agency to ensure compliance.

Air Emissions Reduction Initiatives

We are implementing a range of measures to manage and reduce air emissions:

  • Odour Management: Odour emissions from wastewater treatment works are a key area of focus. In South West Water, we have installed real-time odour monitoring equipment and upgraded odour control systems at multiple sites. This supports our performance commitments and helps improve conditions for local communities.
  • Fuel Alternatives: Aligned to our Net Zero ambition, we are using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel for standby power generation at multiple sites. HVO is a lower-emission alternative to diesel, helping to reduce both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and our impact on local air emissions.
  • Sustainable Fleet Transition: To reduce emissions from our transport activities, we are rolling out a fleet of low- and zero-emission vehicles, including over 50 electric vans. Charging infrastructure has been installed across many of our sites to support our fleet transition.
  • Industry Collaboration: We continue to work with partners across the water sector to develop improved methods for monitoring and managing air pollutants from wastewater operations.