Water policy

Sustainable water management needs a joined-up approach given a complex policy context influenced by regulators, European Directives and national legislation.

National policy and guidance

The Floods and Water Management Act 2010 aims to:

• reduce the likelihood and impacts of flooding
• clarify roles and responsibilities for flood risk prevention and water management
• improve the efficiency and management of the water industry
• reduce pollution and improve water quality.

The Act’s provisions include:

• wider responsibilities for the Environment Agency, who will now have a strategic overview role for all flood risk across England and responsibility for national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy
• new statutory responsibilities for unitary and county councils to develop local strategies for managing local flood risk
• clearer consultation and partnership working requirements for all involved in flood risk reduction efforts and affected by flood management strategies
• new requirements for house builders and developers to incorporate sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) into new developments: all SuDS built as a result of the Act will have to comply with the national SuDS standard DEFRA is expected to publish later this year
• a new duty for local authorities to adopt all SuDS built as a result of the implementation of the Act, in compliance with the national standards and serving more than one property. 

The main driver of the act was the Pitt Review of the 2007 floods, which highlighted the risks of surface water flooding.

The Flood Risk Regulations 2009 transpose the EU Floods Directive into UK law. The Regulations confirm the lead local flood authority role for unitary and county councils and require specific tasks to be undertaken by these authorities in 2010, with completion of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments and identification of Flood Risk Areas due by June 2011.

Future water, the government’s water strategy, sets the agenda for sustainable water planning and management and includes a chapter about carbon emissions in water management.

Surface water management plans are the key tool to improve co-ordination of activities between stakeholders involved in surface water drainage. Local authorities have responsibility for producing these tools, which will be central to a planning response through local development frameworks.

PPS25: Development and Flood Risk is the central planning strategy for water resources with a specific focus on flood risk. It aims to ensure that flood risk is taken into account in the planning process and avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. The PPS25 Practice Guide shows how to implement these strategies.

Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS) from the Environment Agency consider how much water can be abstracted from watercourses without damaging the environment.

Catchment Flood Management Plans from the Environment Agency look at the factors that contribute to flood risk within a catchment and recommend the best ways of managing the risk of flooding.

Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens from Communities and Local Government set outs changes in the general permitted development order allowing the hard surfacing of more than five square metres of domestic front gardens only where the surface in question is rendered permeable.

Shoreline management plans (SMPs) assess the risks associated with coastal processes.

Building a better environment is the Environment Agency’s guidance for developers setting out key considerations of PPS25 and the importance of flood risk assessments.

Living with Water: Sustainable design for areas at risk of flooding is RIBA’s guidance for architects to encourage the development of more innovative solutions to development in flood risk areas.

Water industry regulators

The Environment Agency enforces and advises on environmental requirements and secures the proper and efficient use of water resources through the abstraction licensing system.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate regulates the quality of water supplied to customers.

The Office of Water Services (Ofwat) is the economic regulator and has launched Preparing for the future: Ofwat’s climate change policy.

European directives

The Floods Directive requires member states to assess if all water courses and coast lines are at risk from flooding, to map the flood extent, assets and people at risk in these areas and to take adequate and coordinated measures to reduce this flood risk.