When it comes to water, most of us never stop to think about where it comes from. In the words of Mark Bowden, Jersey Water’s Head of Water Resilience and Emergency Planning, “that’s exactly how it should be.” Having worked in the industry for nearly thirty years, he knows the ins and outs of making sure the Island always has access to safe, clean water. Here, he tells us about the work that goes into keeping Jersey’s supply flowing come rain or shine, his collaboration with the farming community, and the challenges of planning for an unpredictable climate.
“There are three main parts to my job. The first is water resource planning, making sure we have enough water for the Island, both now and in the future. We look at the long-term picture but also manage short-term issues like dry spells and droughts. The second is reservoir safety. Jersey’s six reservoirs fall under the Jersey Reservoirs Law, so we handle their inspection, maintenance, and compliance. This is to ensure their safety and reliability for decades to come. And the third is emergency planning: preparing for when things don’t go to plan.
That could mean drought, flood, fire, pandemic, or any other disruption. We work closely with the Government, the emergency services, parishes, and other utilities to coordinate our response and keep water supplies safe and running. It’s all about anticipating risks, preparing for them, and then responding effectively when something happens.
I’ve worked in the water industry for nearly 30 years, starting out at United Utilities in the North West of England. I’ve done everything from mopping floors in treatment works to managing major operational teams.
When I moved to Jersey in 2016, a key part of my role was to develop a new long-term drought plan for the Island. I was attracted by the challenge as it’s a huge responsibility. At Jersey Water, you can really shape the future of the Island’s supply, and that’s something I find motivating every day.
Our main focus is making sure the Island always has enough water, now and for decades to come. Climate change means rainfall is becoming more unpredictable, and in recent years we’ve seen some dry springs and summers. That puts real pressure on reservoir storage levels, so we need to plan carefully and build resilience into the water system.
On the water resources side, there are two parts to the equation: supply and demand. On the supply side, we look at how much water we can capture and store, making the most of the Island’s natural resources, and where we can add climate-independent capacity, such as desalination. On the demand side, it’s about reducing water use and leaks as much as possible.
Our ‘Big Butt’ campaign has just finished, where we partnered with four local garden retailers to encourage people to invest in a water butt and collect rainwater through the winter. It’s a simple, practical way to save water, and it’s better for your garden too. You can use collected rainwater for watering plants, washing cars or cleaning outdoor windows instead of using drinking water. It’s like having thousands of little reservoirs in people’s homes and gardens.
At home, there are lots of small actions people can take. Avoid using a hosepipe where possible. Reuse washing-up water for plants. Catch the cold water that runs while your shower warms up – it can fill a bucket in no time, which you can then use for watering or topping up ponds. And for anyone wanting to see how they could save more, we have the Get Water Fit tool on our website that gives personalised tips based on your habits. It’s not about stopping use; it’s about stopping waste. Lots of Islanders making small changes can have a big impact overall. It can help us leave more water in the environment and reduce the need for enforced hosepipe restrictions.
Over the next few years, we’re investing in Jersey’s infrastructure. The expansion of the desalination plant is the next big project. It’s a climate-independent source of supply, meaning that, unlike a reservoir, it doesn’t depend on how much rainfall we get. People often ask why we don’t just build a new reservoir, but new reservoirs are extremely expensive, and they take decades of planning, consultation and approvals. Desalination gives us a reliable way to increase capacity while keeping costs as low as possible. Whilst it’s expensive to operate desalination, it’s a lot cheaper overall because we already have one that we can upgrade and expand. Once you’ve invested in a reservoir, which costs hundreds of millions of pounds, these costs are effectively baked into customer bills in the future. We want to keep costs as low as they can be, whilst remaining resilient to the drought.
The biggest challenge is balancing quantity and quality. We need to deliver on both, but quality and quantity are so interrelated with each influencing the other. Several years ago, we stopped taking water from sources affected by historic PFAS contamination around the airport. This makes us resilient in a drought and gives us fewer options during dry spells.
Our farming community is vital to Jersey’s culture and history and it needs to be part of our future. For a decade now, we’ve worked closely through the Action for Cleaner Water Group, which brings together Jersey Water, the Government’s Environment Department and local farmers.
By sharing knowledge and understanding each other’s challenges, we’ve made real progress. Nitrate and pesticide levels have reduced significantly, and we have achieved another year of 100% compliance with all water quality standards. That’s a huge achievement and very rare, not only in the UK but worldwide across the water industry. It’s a great example of what collaboration can achieve. We’ve strengthened relationships, improved understanding on both sides, and shown how farming and water management can work hand in hand. The results speak for themselves: better water quality, healthier soils, and a more sustainable approach to land management.
We’re long-term supporters of the Jersey Farming Conference, which is a great forum for open dialogue, and we are also now involved with Regen Gathering. Supporting these initiatives benefits everyone: every activity on the land can affect water quality. We want all farming on the Island to be both successful and sustainable, enhancing the environment, not harming it, because good farming practices mean better water resilience.
Working in water gives you a real sense of purpose. We’re providing something essential; you turn on the tap and clean, safe water comes out. Most people never think twice about it, and that’s exactly how it should be. Behind the scenes, a lot of work goes into keeping it that way. Everyone at Jersey Water feels that responsibility. We’re all customers as well as employees, so we care deeply about what we do. It’s an honest, important industry and one that directly affects people’s lives every single day.”
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