23/12/09
Water UK calls on ministers to use the first-ever River Basin Management Plans to ensure that all sectors contribute fully to a healthy water environment.
Government-approved plans published today by the Environment Agency (EA) are a route map to cleaner rivers and seas. Unfortunately, however, many sectors and organisations are not ready for the journey.
The ten River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) for England and Wales show how the governments of each country expect to improve the quality of the water environment between 2010 to 2016.
The Plans have been prepared by the EA with the advice of district liaison panels including representatives of local and highway authorities, agriculture, industry, non-government organisations, and water companies.
In the past two decades, UK rivers, groundwater and marine waters have improved significantly in chemical and biological terms, mainly as a result of capital expenditure by water companies. Now, however, new standards measuring 'ecological status' are in force requiring a more stringent approach to reducing or preventing pollution.
Point source pollution
The improvements were achieved mainly in respect of regulated 'point source' pollution, for example from process industries and sewage treatment. The main characteristics of this work are enhanced treatment dependent on building new plant, energy-intensive processes and use of chemicals.
The cost to water companies and their customers is high and in future will be higher still as the cost of carbon emissions is included.
Diffuse pollution
Water UK is pleased that, in presenting the plans, Defra and Welsh Assembly Government ministers and the EA, have recognised that 'diffuse' pollution, notably from farming and urban sources, is a (or the) main barrier to good ecological status.
The RBMPs set out what has to be done by sectors such as farmers, industry, local government and transport to make progress with diffuse pollution. This is a useful step forward. But in many cases the activities shown against each are aspirations - expected expenditure is low and few obligations to act are in place.
Now, a choice has to be made.
At source or end-of-pipe
Either, these sectors will increasingly take on their share of the work by reducing their own pollution at source - the most economic and sustainable way forward. Or, the standards will have to be met by water companies and others through expensive 'end-of-pipe' treatment processes.
The water industry is already committed to spending more than £3 billion on environmental improvements in the next five years. This investment is against the requirements of other EU directives but also essential to good ecological status.
Water UK, together with consumer and environmental interests, calls on ministers to make full use of these first RBMPs to create conditions for all sectors to make progress with their contributions to a healthy water environment. The alternative could be failure to meet good ecological status in the required time and higher than necessary costs to water customers and society as a whole.
Water companies will continue to build on their success to date. But they are also ready and willing to work in partnership with other environment stakeholders to deliver improvements that will benefit the whole community.
Published River Basin Management Plans
Defra Press Release: River Basin Management Plans
Water Framework Directive - Latest news
Water Framework Directive - Full picture
For more information please contact:
Water UK Communication
020 7344 1809 (out of hours 07833 450544)
NOTE
Water framework directive additional action
Water UK is pleased that Defra also announced an additional £1 million for the EA to bring forward quality investigations, and £3.75 million for farmers to help them tackle water pollution.
Both the EA and agriculture sector will in different ways spend far more on these activities so the new sums cannot be compared directly with water industry investment plans. But it is worth noting that in the next five years the water industry will spend some £132 million on investigations and pilot schemes targeted at water framework directive standards.
