You are here:

ARCHIVE: Water resources planning

Information on this page:

Latest news

Introduction

Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government have policy responsibility for water resources in England and Wales. There is the need to effectively manage water resources, as there is increasing pressure on water brought about by changes in societal demand, population increase and changing household patterns, and by climate change.

The Government's approach to the management of water resources is the "twin track" approach as re-affirmed in our strategy for water Future Water. This approach to sustainable water resource management involves the consideration of demand management alongside sustainable resource development.

The Environment Agency, a non-departmental body sponsored by Defra and the National Assembly for Wales, has a duty to secure the proper and efficient use of water resources in England and Wales. The principal means of achieving this is through the abstraction licensing system. Through this system the Environment Agency aims to achieve a balance between the requirements of abstractors and adequate protection of the environment against the impacts of abstraction.

All water companies have water resource management plans which look ahead 25 years and include projections of current and future demands for water. These plans are regularly updated to account for factors such as projections of household numbers and occupancy rates and the implications of climate change. These plans were prepared voluntarily until 1 April 2007 when they become a statutory requirement under provisions in the Water Act 2003.

The Environment Agency's water resources strategy

In 2009, the Environment Agency published “Water for people and the environment – Water resources strategy for England and Wales”. It sets out how the Environment Agency believes water resources should be managed throughout England and Wales and beyond. A strategy to ensure there will be enough water for people and the environment.

Water Companies Water Resources Management Plans

In spring 2008, water companies submitted their first set of statutory draft water resources management plans to the Secretary of State. For the first time, the water resources management plans were subject to public consultation and all the water companies publicly consulted on their plans during summer 2008.

All water companies prepared a statement of response, which showed the consideration that had been given to the consultation responses, and any changes that would be made to the water resources management plans.

The Secretary of State announced his decisions on the next steps for the English water companies statutory water resources management plans in August 2009. In reaching the decisions, the Secretary of State considered the water company’s draft plan, together with responses received on the public consultation and the statement of response.

The Secretary of State concluded that Thames Water’s and South East Water’s Water Resources Management Plans should be subject to a public inquiry. The Secretary of State also concluded that Portsmouth Water’s Plan should be subject to a public hearing.
However, Portsmouth Water has decided to start the water resources management plan process.

We have prepared guidance on the hearing and inquiry processes for those plans on which it has been decided that a hearing or inquiry should be held. There is separate guidance for water companies and for stakeholders, which follows best practice and incorporates the actions to be undertaken. These are below:

The water companies draft water resources management plans and statements of response to the public consultation are available on the water company’s websites.

After the final water resources management plan is published on the water company’s website, it will be reviewed annually by the water company; if there is a relevant material change in circumstances, then the water company must submit a revised plan within six months from when the change occurred. The Secretary of State can also direct a water company to submit a revised plan if required, after consulting with the Environment Agency.

Defra commissioned a review of the process that delivered the first round of Plans, the aim of which is to understand the experience of those involved in the process and see how the policy is working in practice. If anyone wishes to contribute to the review they may complete the associated questionnaire, which can be found on Defra’s consultations webpage. The deadline for completed questionnaires is 21 January 2011.

Regulations and directions

The Water Resources Management Plan Regulation 2007 sets out the steps a statutory water undertaker must follow with respect to publication and consultation of a draft water resources management plan, and the publication of its final plan.

The Water Resources Management Plan Direction 2007 details what information the water resources plans should include and provides statutory timescales during the process.

The Water Resources Management Plan (No.2) Direction 2007 is the vehicle by which water companies are required to look at the costs and benefits of compulsory metering in their plans. Metering will then be considered alongside and compared with the other measures in companies’ water resources management plans.

The Environment Agency has prepared detailed guidance for water companies on the content of water resources plans and this is available on their website.

Page last modified: 4 March 2011
Page published 25 October 2005