The UK water industry provides essential water and wastewater services to homes and businesses across the country. In recent years, significant increases in sewage spills have brought the industry into serious disrepute. Water cycle studies offer a way forward.
Water company sewage spills into England’s lakes, rivers and seas more than doubled in 2023 alone. Campaigners have accused the water industry of “polluting our rivers and seas at a catastrophic scale”.
Water UK, the industry body for sewerage companies, concedes that record levels of pollution have been unacceptable, but argue that recent years have seen heavy rain and increased data collection.
The current situation
The UK water industry is largely privatised, with 11 regional water companies in England and Wales, one in Scotland (Scottish Water), and a public water provider in Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Water).
These companies are responsible for supplying clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, and maintaining infrastructure such as pipelines and treatment plants.
Significant challenges include:
- Climate change Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, with more frequent droughts and flooding, have put pressure on water supply and flood management systems. Droughts can lead to water scarcity and heavy rainfall can overwhelm wastewater systems and lead to pollution.
- Aging infrastructure Much of the UK’s water infrastructure is old. Combined sewer overflows because of the age of the sewer system have become a major concern. Many pipes and treatment plants need investment in modernisation as well as maintenance.
- Increasing water pollution Pollution from sewage discharges have affected water quality, posing risks to both public health and biodiversity. Addressing pollution sources requires significant investment and regulation.
- Increasing demand Population growth, urbanisation, and changing consumption patterns have increased the demand for water, putting added strain on supply systems and infrastructure, especially in regions that already face water scarcity. Government housing targets are an element of this.
The UK government has set the ambitious housing target of delivering 1.5 million new homes in five years. Councils must put forward development plans which boost housebuilding in urban and rural areas alike.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/61407508
The increased pressure new homes bring to water and wastewater infrastructure is often overlooked, despite emphasis on environmental sustainability, with higher building standards and measures for issues such as energy efficiency and carbon-emission reduction.
Housing developments present a significant risk to water quality and the wider environment if not managed properly.
Bringing clarity for the future
Water cycle studies (WCS) are increasingly providing key information for future development at local and regional level.
Though not required by law, they can help relevant authorities identify where development may face infrastructural and environmental constraints to water supply and wastewater.
They enable water companies and the Environment Agency to plan better for the future, by understanding how strategic plans and development proposals may affect future demand and the environment.
Water cycle studies typically have two phases; a scoping phase and a detailed phase.
Scoping studies tend to use existing data to make an assessment of water resources, wastewater infrastructure and environmental constraints in a particular area. They provide the basis on which the need for a detailed study can be assessed.
Detailed studies vary, but often involve modelling of water quality to determine the impact of development and ensure that measures are put in place to allow development to go ahead.
In both the scoping and detailed phases, a water cycle study aims to assess future development and determine whether it can go ahead safely.
In WHS we are seeing an increasing need and demand for these types of studies in general and we are currently completing several water cycle studies in the Oxfordshire area.
The WHS team can combine expertise in different elements of the water cycle with specific insights into the local planning process and our experience of working with both water companies and the Environment Agency.
The last word
The UK needs new housing. At the same time, the UK water industry faces the significant challenges of climate change, aging infrastructure and water pollution in fulfilling their responsibilities.
Water cycle studies are a key step in bridging the gap between these competing issues. Stakeholders using WCS can put stronger plans in place to enable development to proceed sustainably.