30/06/09
The mass of data on flooding published in June will help inform the industy’s response to the consultation on the draft Flood and Water Management Bill.
The past two weeks have seen a high level of activity, including:
• the UKCP09 climate change projections
• the Environment Agency Flooding in England report,
• the agancy's long term investment strategy and, most recently,
• the revised web-based flood maps.
Meanwhile, Defra has published a six-month progress report relating to the independent Pitt Review; and the Institution of Civil Engineers State of the Nation report addresses Defending critical infrastructure.
Water company final business plans already include investment proposals to reduce flooding of properties from overloaded sewers and to increase the resilience of the water supply in the face of environmental pressures such as flooding.
Concurrently the industry is reviewing its emergency procedures and will be producing revised guidance later in the year and conducting an emergency response exercise early in 2010.
The Water UK Flooding Implementation Group will report in July, to highlight actions resulting from recommendations of the industry’s own Review Group on Flooding and the Pitt Review.
Water UK continues to work with stakeholders to smooth the way for effective working between key organisations including the Environment Agency, the Met Office, local authorities and government.
Contact: Jim Marshall
