Other stories from last week

Defra has appointed Dan Corry and Allison Ogden-Newton OBE to its board for one-year terms.  Corry is chief economist at the Future Governance Forum and recently completed a review of environmental regulation for Defra. Ogden-Newton is chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure is consulting until 19 December on policy relating to the future regulation and use of sustainable drainage systems in new housing developments.

Thames Water has published its Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) for suppliers, inviting essential information from those interested in bidding to deliver ten major capital projects in AMP8. The projects span seven wastewater treatment sites and two water treatment sites, and are valued at £840m. Thames aims to have signed agreements by March 2026.

The secretary of state has agreed to treat the Suffolk Water Recycling, Transfer and Storage project being developed by Essex and Suffolk Water (ESW) as a development for which development consent is required under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008. The intention is to build an advanced water recycling plant to treat wastewater from Anglian’s Lowestoft water recycling centre, to provide up to 11Ml/d of supplies. There will also be two storage reservoirs and associated infrastructure. ESW is currently operating a moratorium – a temporary prohibition on new connections or increases in supply from existing connections for non-domestic purposes – in the Hartismere Water Resource Zone due to the lack of available water. This is expected to remain in place until approximately 2033 when the Suffolk project is due to be completed. 

With just over a year to go until the 2026 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, the International Water Association’s global leadership and host country representatives have met up with with the Lord Provost and leaders of Glasgow City Council to advance plans for the event. The Congress takes place next October and the visit marked a milestone in deepening collaboration between the IWA and Glasgow.