Bruha Brewing boss, Barry Chevallier, left hopping mad at new scheme to save water around Eye

A brewery boss has spoken of his frustration after being invited to look for ways to help to reduce the amount of water his business uses.

Barry Chevallier Guild, of Bruha Brewing, in Eye, is one of several businesses in the Hartismere water resource zone to receive the letter from Essex and Suffolk Water.

The water company is offering businesses in the area access to a fund to help them reduce the amount of water they use.

The area is currently under a moratorium, which is a temporary stop on new non-domestic water connections due to concerns over the levels of supply and demand.

Essex and Suffolk Water is offering access to a Water Saving in Business Fund, which has been set up to aid businesses in the area.

Companies are being asked to devise water-saving projects before applying for a grant to help them see it through.

Mr Chevallier Guild said: “I can understand the desire to help businesses save water but it’s a drop in the ocean to a business that’s wanting to grow or expand.

“We’re looking to use a lot more water as our business expands and I suspect that any saving we could possibly realise from the water we’re currently using isn’t going to come anywhere near providing what we will need.

“I can understand it, but I can't believe that businesses are sitting there, letting thousands of litres of water run into the drains just for the hell of it. I’m sure there can be savings, but we want to grow our business while we’ve got headroom to do so.”

To qualify for a grant, businesses must be within the Essex and Suffolk Water Hartismere water resource zone and deliver water savings.

The company says this could be: saving mains tap water, demonstrating measurable, sustainable reduction in water use, monthly project updates and reports at the end of the project.

Each project will be assessed based on a number of factors, including innovation, funding required, cost-per-litre of water saved, amount of water saved and any wider benefits, such as community, social, or environmental.

Mr Chevallier Guild added: “While the funding opportunity is not unwelcome, I don’t quite understand how that’s going to help us in a scenario where we’re looking to double the size of our business and we’re being told there’s a restriction on the water we can use to do that.

“This also comes on the back of the letter about the moratorium, coming completely out of the blue.”

The closing date for applications is March 7, 2025.