Wonderful on Tap
Leaving a lasting legacy for our communities...
We’re proud to have been the Official Nature and Carbon Neutral partner of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
We watched, wondered. Cheered and clapped. Even turned on the water works. And although the hustle and bustle of Game go-ers has now left our region, our work to build a greener future and leave a sustainable legacy across the Midlands continues.
What we have done so far
We provided water on tap at the Games
We showed the world Birmingham’s tap water is ‘best in glass’ by keeping visitors hydrated at the Games with our free water refill stations.
And by encouraging people to bring along their reusable bottles we saved…
Over 480,000 single-use plastic bottles* from going to landfill.
*Based on 500ml bottles
Creating 2,022 acres of Severn Trent Commonwealth Forest
We’re filling up our forests with bucket loads of trees (2,022 acres of forest, to be exact) to help offset the residual carbon generated by the Games.
These forests are being planted with UK native trees which will encourage nature to thrive, by creating habitats for our wonderful wildlife.
Many of our forests are accessible by cycling, walking and public transport – so our local communities can enjoy them too.
This work will continue beyond the Games, so watch this space…because it’s only going to keep getting greener.
We have now planted 72 Tiny Forests
Boosting nature and green space in urban areas is really important for our wellbeing, which is why we've planted 72 Tiny Forests across the West Midlands.
We teamed up with Earthwatch Europe, as well as local community groups and schools to create these beautiful leafy spaces that will make a real difference to our local environment and people who live there.
Each forest is be linked to one of the nations or territories who competed in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, leaving a legacy for our grandkids, grandkids to admire.
Would you like to help care for our Tiny Forests?
Even though we’ve finished planting the Tiny Forests, you can still help. We need local people to take care of each Tiny Forest site.
With our friends from Earthwatch Europe, we’ll help you to monitor and maintain your site. Each team of Tree Keepers will collect data from their Tiny Forest and help us to understand the kinds of wildlife it attracts.
If you're interested in becoming a Tree Keeper contact forestdelivery@Severntrent.co.uk for more information.
"There are lots of different ways that Tree Keepers can get involved with their chosen Tiny Forest, and when these tasks are split between all the Tree Keepers, we predict each individual will only need to spend a couple of hours a month helping to care for the Tiny Forest."
Funding the partnership
Customer bills have not and will not rise to fund this partnership project.
Any increase in customer bills is part of the annual pricing review which is controlled and agreed by Ofwat.
You can download our scheme of charges [PDF] for a full explanation of how household bills are calculated for 2022 to 2023.
Carbon offsetting
We will continue to work closely with the Forestry Commission for guidance, we are using the UK woodland code methodology to calculate and validate the offset of the residual carbon emissions of the Games in order to create a long-term legacy that would offset the games to make them carbon neutral.
Accreditation will be completed once all trees have been planted.
Caring for our customers
Whether it’s help understanding your bill, making sure we know how to support you during a supply interruption, or finding the right solution to help you pay what you can afford, we’re here to help you.
