Water & Wastewater Treatment

6 | january 2015 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk Industry news A 'pioneering vision' docu- ment that identifies a more sustainable response to ur- ban and rural water manage- ment throughout the South West has been introduced by AECOM in collaboration with South West Water (SWW), the University of Exeter, the En- vironment Agency (EA), and local and county councils. The document, Creating a Water Sensitive South West, is the result of a workshop that showcased water sensi- tive urban design (WSUD) as a leading approach to secur- ing a more balanced relation- ship between water, the en- vironment and communities. It also addresses the benefits and the barriers facing the implementation and delivery of WSUD, which originated in Australia where AECOM was instrumental in its successful delivery. WSUD focuses on giving a greater priority to water man- agement considerations at the earliest stages of develop- ment and regeneration. It can reduce the impacts of climate change and popu- lation growth in the South West's towns and cities as well as nationwide. It recog- nises that all elements of the water cycle are linked and provides a smarter, cost-ef- fective approach to resource efficiency and future resil- ience. AECOM said delivering WSUD can help to reduce flooding through sustain- continuous battery powered turbidity for network monitoring t. 0800 8046 062 continuous battery powered turbidity for network monitoring t. 0800 8046 062 www.atiuk.com Collaborative vision for water management in South West able drainage systems (SuDS) that can include natural vegetation features such as wetlands, swales and rain gardens. It can also save wa- ter by securing new water supplies from the rain that falls on urban centres as well as create green, attractive public spaces that provide new wildlife habitats and a healthier urban environment. Tony Barrett, principal consultant at AECOM's water practice in the UK, said: "This vision document serves as a turning point in the delivery of WSUD in the South-west. There are undoubtedly chal- lenges to the implementa- tion of WSUD. Collaboration, ownership and education are the crucial keys to success. "The support from South West Water, local government organisations, the Environ- ment Agency and the Uni- versity of Exeter is essential to the planning and manage- ment of an improved urban water cycle and our future resilience. It is this type of joined-up thinking that is critical to turn the vision for a water sensitive South West into a reality." Andrew Roantree, SWW's head of asset management, said: "With population growth, climate change and urban creep, there is an ur- gent need to find innovative ways of preventing flooding and pollution in the future. There are collaborative, low- cost and natural solutions that will reduce flood risk, enhance neighbourhoods, prolong the life of our sewers, and make much better use of the rain that falls on our towns and cities." wwtonline.co.uk

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