WET News

8 WET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk NEWS+ Government criticised over water efficiency and SuDS efforts M Ps have said the Gov- ernment has "weak- ened its water efficiency ambitions" and that it must do more to recognise the benefits of sustainable drainage. The cross-party Environmen- tal Audit Committee's report, Heatwaves: Adapting to Climate Change, was issued on 26 July and warns that temperatures around 38.5°C can be expected every other year by the 2040s, while heat-related deaths are likely to triple to 7,000 a year by the 2050s. It also issued a warning about the UK's water supply, which it said was expected to reduce by 4-7 per cent, adding: "This will be exacerbated by the increas- ing demand for water during heatwaves, particularly in cities. "However, the Government has weakened its water effi- ciency ambitions and continues to fail to introduce sustainable urban drainage systems, which bring multiple benefits." It said a leaked dra" of the 25 Year Environment Plan indi- cates that the Government origi- nally intended to introduce tighter water efficiency stand- ards into the building regula- tions. While the regulations set a water efficiency requirement for buildings of 125 litres per person per day, there is an optional tighter requirement of 110 litres per person per day, and the report said: "The origi- nal version of the 25 Year Envi- ronment Plan proposed making the lower option the default standard." Anglian Water and Waterwise both submitted written evidence urging higher standards on effi- ciency, while the latter high- lighted the successful imple- mentation of water-use percentage reduction targets in California, with the Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life report identifying that targets have resulted in a 33 per cent reduction in use. MPs wrote in the conclusions and recommendations section of the Heatwave report that the Government "overlooked indus- try representations to make per capita consumption standards more efficient", adding: "A water-saving culture needs to be embedded to ensure that people understand the strain heat- waves place on the water supply and to make sure more water is available during a heatwave. "The Government should adopt 110 litres per person per day as the mandatory standard in Part G of the building regula- tions for all new buildings." The report also questioned the lack of focus on SuDS, which it said "provide multiple bene- fits of reducing the urban heat island effect through evapotran- spiration, providing irrigation for green walls and roofs and retaining soil moisture". It continued: "England is the only country in the UK that does not require SuDS for all new developments in its planning pol- icy. In the 2013 National Adapta- tion Programme the Government promised to make SuDS a require- ment by 2014, but this commit- ment was quietly dropped. This is disappointing especially as it is now over 10 years since the Pitt Review's recommendation to make SuDS compulsory. "As the population in dense urban areas grows, the Govern- ment should recognise the ben- efits of an integrated water man- agement system for reducing the urban heat island effect. "There is no need for further review of the benefits of SuDS. Before publication of the revised National Policy Planning Frame- work it should be updated to require SuDS in all new devel- opments. Guidance on how to build SuDS to an adoptable standard should also be pro- duced. This would ensure that all local authorities, particularly those with dense urban areas, manage water more responsibly as heatwaves become more frequent." Mary Creagh, chair of the committee, said: "Heatwave warnings are welcomed as bar- becue alerts but they threaten health, wellbeing and produc- tivity. The government must stop playing pass the parcel with local councils and the National Health Service and develop a strategy to protect our ageing population from this increasing risk." Defra rejected the suggestion it is not doing enough to tackle the problem. "We are taking robust action to ensure our country is resilient and prepared for the challenges a changing climate brings," a spokesperson for Defra said, adding that the new Climate Adaptation Plan "sets out ongo- ing work and investment to make sure food and water sup- plies are protected, businesses and communities are properly prepared and the right infra- structure is in place." • Heatwaves report issues warning over climate change preparations Environmental Audit Committee chair Mary Creagh A wireless pressure testing system that gives you the reassurance of precise readings, a secure, searchable database and evidence traceability at your fingertips. 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