Environment Bulletin: Water

New Water Plan Regulations

Under the terms of the Water Industry Act 1991 as amended, water undertakers have

obligations to prepare and maintain a water resources management plan. The Water Resources

Management Plan Regulations 2007 SI2007 No 727 came into force on 1 April 2007 and prescribe

the method of publication of a draft management plan as well as listing the persons to whom

documents must be copied. These include a full range of local authorities, regional

development agencies and the like. The water undertakers also have a responsibility to

publish a statement with the management plan, inviting representations to the Secretary of

State for the Environment or the National Assembly for Wales. Details of representations are

required to be published and the water undertaker must specify how it is dealing with those

representations. Both the Secretary of State and the National Assembly have a power to hold

an inquiry or hearing to consider disputes.

Water Management - Environment Agency Consult

The Environment Agency has issued a consultation paper identifying what they

describe as significant water management issues - see "Summary of Significant Water

Management Issues (Environment Agency)". A separate consultation document and supporting

information has been prepared for each river basin development area. The consultation has as

its background the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England & Wales)

Regulations 2003. The directive requires the establishment of an integrated framework for

the management of surface water and ground water, based on river basin districts. Issues

such as the availability of water, the maintenance of quality and the management of flood

risk are required to be considered. The consultation documents address:

An overview of the main pressures and issues arising in each river basin

district;

A requirement that these pressures and issues...