Water & Wastewater Treatment

Award-Winning Vehicle Tracking *Limited Offer. 0870 013 6663 enquiries@quartix.net www.quartix.net Van Fleet World • FREE for first 3 months • Then £22.90/month • 12 month contract • FREE installation • On-site warranty • inc. Driving Style Monitoring "WE HAVE SEEN IMPROVED DRIVING STANDARDS UTILISING THE QUARTIX DRIVING STYLE REPORTS, RESULTING IN REDUCED VEHICLE INCIDENTS AND AN 18% IMPROVEMENT IN FUEL CONSUMPTION." ANDREW GIBBONS, FLEET CI MANAGER, GINSTERS LTD Quartix Ginsters A4.indd 1 03/10/2013 09:13 30 Brands Become one: master Builders solutions In an ever faster moving world, reliability is the key to success. By creating one global brand for the construction chemicals industry, we are combining the leading expertise and innovative strength of 30 BASF brands and more than a century of experience under one roof: Master Builders Solutions. Find faster, reliable and easier solutions for nearly every local project from one single source. Visit us at www.master-builders-solutions.basf.co.uk BASF_AZ_City_2_1_180x130 laz.indd 1 17/01/2014 12:12 3 February 2014 Water & Wastewater Treatment EDITOR'S COMMENT Where have all the policymakers gone? S uDS has been kicked into the long grass – yet again. This is the news that comes along with one of the UK's wettest winters ever. Water Minister Dan Rogerson MP announced on 6 January that, "Regrettably, it is looking increasingly unlikely that we will be in a position to ensure that the scheme comes into force this April, which was our preferred date for implementation as stated previously." The reasons given – that housebuilders and developers are worried about the cost of 'space-hungry' sustainable drainage systems and that local authorities are not ready – sound like the obfuscation they are. As Hydro International's Alex Stephenson has pointed out "Housebuilders have been building perfectly good SuDS schemes for the past 10 years or more," (see page 6 and WWTonline.co.uk). Similar 'detail' red-herrings were given around the delay of the Water Bill, which does seem to be making its way through the legislative process at last. The critical lack of skilled civil servants at Defra and the Environment Agency is probably a more genuine explanation of policy hold-ups. One BBC News report said that cuts to the Environment Agency have left it 'incapable' of introducing policy. That makes sense – as I wrote back in 2011 - how can any organisation take a 30% cut to the budget and not feel the impact? The real-life domain of the Environment Agency, of course, extends far beyond the swamped desks of harassed policymakers at HQ. And the measures it needs to take to protect and conserve resources and habitats for a growing population are only getting more complex and urgent. SuDS is just one element in a much wider array of policy and infrastructure needs the UK has if it is to achieve a comprehensive and deliverable climate change mitigation strategy for both urban and rural environments. Abstraction reform, flood defence, catchment management, the Water Framework Directive – the list of initiatives the Agency needs to navigate is growing and growing. If the UK is to be properly protected from the extreme weather events we are already experiencing, and resourced for projected population growth, delay cannot be afforded. It is not news to say that that investment now will save millions of pounds in the long-term – that is well- proven and well-evidenced. The Government needs to reprioritise environmental spending immediately and the water industry has a role in continuing to bring pressure to bear. The UK needs resilient policy, resilient infrastructure, resilient communities, a resilient environment and a resilient Environment Agency. nnn Celebrate the UK water industry's achievements at the Water Industry Achievement Awards in Birmingham on 1 April 2014, visit WWTonline.co.uk to book your place Natasha Wiseman, editor Follow WWT on Twitter @wwtweeting

• Cover