Biodiversity

Trees:

We have over 240,000 trees on our sites. These include common ones like English Oak to rarer ones like Black Poplar. We have a responsibility to manage the trees for health and safety, as well as to support local biodiversity. We have a target to plant 110,000 by 2030 across our sites and on third party land within our supply area, helping to support healthy catchments. 

INNS:

We're also committed to reducing invasive non-native species (INNS) on our land. We do this through annual monitoring and treatment works. We're working with people across the water industry and other organisations to tackle aquatic INNS in England, and we're even funding research with CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International) into ways to control Himalayan Balsam and Floating Pennywort.

We first launched our INNS Out Scheme in 2021 – a grant scheme to help local community groups manage INNS in our supply area. So far, we've awarded grants to over 100 groups, and some of which we have been working with for years! Affinity Water staff and supply chain contactors also volunteer their time to support these community groups with hands-on INNS removal. 

 
If you would like assistance with tackling invasive species on your land or with in your community, please click here to find out more about the scheme and apply. 

We're also working with other organisations around our supply area to help with biodiversity. We're doing everything from managing our sites to providing volunteering opportunities for our employees and community.

We're working with our colleagues and stakeholders in the Water Industry through the Aquatic Biosecurity Partnership to tackle invasive species in England. The GB Non-Native Species Secretariat chairs this partnership of water companies and key Check, Clean, Dry partners who contribute to the project through their time and the activities of their organisation. Guidance and best practice methodologies developed within this partnership are then rolled out across the company, including working with our tenants and site teams on how we can improve biosecurity provision at their site. 
As part of our WINEP requirements, we’re working collectively as an industry and with UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), to review appropriate INNS monitoring methodologies of water industry owned assets. We’re also specifically looking into the risk of invasive species pathways during the transfers of raw water across the whole industry. 

Engagement

At Affinity Water, we have a programme to help our staff learn what they need to about biodiversity and environmental legislation. We have an Environmental Handbook and provide Tool Box Talks available to everyone. They teach our teams all about key species and habitats, and what to do if they find something on site. Our staff also volunteer with local wildlife groups to improve local nature reserves.

We're also working with our partners to monitor and manage sites for biodiversity:

• Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
• White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
• RSPB (Dungeness)
• Groundwork South

Check out our sites

• Stockers Lake
• Springwell Reedbed
• Dungeness

Rooting for Wildlife

Rooting for Wildlife is a community grant scheme that supports projects that contribute towards increasing and protecting biodiversity. The scheme was first piloted within the Lee catchment in 2024 and from 2025, is open to all applicants within our supply area. In 2024, 15 projects were successfully awarded funding, achieving improvements across a range of schemes such as pond creation and enhancement works, protected species re-introduction, river restoration, wetland rewilding, woodland management and school outreach and education. You can see previous case studies in our blog here and lots more information on our website here.

Applications open each year in Spring, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates.

Species and habitat management:

We have a big responsibility to take care of all the amazing plants and animals that live on our land. Our ecologists monitor species and habitats through a range of surveys, which feed into how we manage our sites for nature. 

We're starting a pollinator enhancement programme, where we are creating more habitats for pollinators like bees. We will select 50 sites along B-Lines, which is an initiative created by the charity BugLife. We're making custom plans for each site which will include things like reduced grass cuts, sowing wildflower seed, and providing insect hotels.

Learn more about B-Lines >

There are a wide variety of bird and bat boxes set up all over our sites, from barn owls to swifts, and we're always looking for more opportunities to install more homes for wildlife.

Some of our sites are important for rare species, like black-necked grebe, which are protected because of this. We have 121 sites that fall under a designated site classification. These sites need constant care and attention to make sure they're being managed appropriately.

Performance Commitment

The Biodiversity Performance Commitment (PC) is a new target given to all water companies by the water industry regulator, Ofwat. The target requires all companies to improve biodiversity across their land holdings and supply area. We are working towards achieving our target by setting aside areas of company land and managing them specifically for biodiversity. On these pieces of land we are creating new habitats, like woodlands, ponds and wetlands. On our operational sites, we are letting some areas of grass grow uncut during the summer months, allowing wildflowers to bloom and providing a crucial food source for pollinators.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG):

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before. It is now mandatory for most developments to provide a 10% increase in biodiversity. This means a development will result in more or better-quality natural habitat than there was before development began.

At Affinity Water, we aim to provide a minimum of 10% Biodiversity Net Gain on all of our developments, regardless of whether it is mandatory for that development.