Environment Agency responds to regional water resource plans

The Environment Agency has given a mixed report on the emerging water resource plans published in January by the five regional water resource planning groups.

It has responded to each plan individually, but also published a short summary of its overall views.

The Agency welcomed the work on:

• proposing demand management options and new water infrastructure solutions to tackle the forecast water supply defici;

• planning changes that will leave more water in the environment, “although the approach to this varies between regions”; and

• starting to work with other sectors and looking wider than public water supply.

However it also noted: “Our review shows the regional groups have challenges to overcome, and expectations to meet, before consultation on draft final regional plans in autumn 2022. The emerging plans did not all show detailed proposals of potential solutions. And the planned environmental enhancements were variable and did not meet our expectations in some places.”Draft final regional plans will be consulted on in autumn 2022, alongside the statutory company Water Resources Management Plans. The Agency pointed out its views related to the January publications and it acknowledged the regional groups had continued to develop their plans and respond to feedback since then.