Defra is currently consulting on new plans for water resource management in England (with some implications for Wales): https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water/improving-management-of-water-in-the-environment/. The consultation seeks “views on proposals to modernise water regulation and allow better long-term planning of water resources and drainage”.
Why’s this important? Well, if Government hits its targets of 300,000 new houses per year, with lots and lots of those needed in the already seriously water-stressed south and east, then we need to find an extra 100 million litres of potable water every day and get rid of all those people’s waste. Where does that water come from and that waste go to? Our rivers. We are massively short of reservoir storage, especially in the south of England. And, of course, there’s climate change to contend with…
So, this consultation gives some chance to shape Government thinking on how we manage water into the future. The consultation closes on March 12 and we have been working with several other groups on a response which we’ll publish well ahead of that closing date, to inform your own response.
