The Environment Agency has today published its National Framework for Water Resources. This aims to help reduce demand, halve leakage rates, develop new supplies, move water to where it’s needed and reduce the need for drought measures that can harm the environment.

Commenting on the framework, Commissioner Dame Kate Barker said:

“With demand for water growing and the stability of supply under challenge from climate change, we need a coherent long term plan that ensures England’s water system is resilient to drought while continuing to provide a reliable supply to families and businesses.

“We welcome this framework’s bold vision, in line with the conclusions in our National Infrastructure Assessment. It is clear about the need to protect our natural environment and promotes collaboration between water companies, regulators, government and major users to reduce demand, increase supply and better share scarce water resources.”

In its 2018 National Infrastructure Assessment, the Commission made a series of recommendations to boost the resilience of the water supply in England to the impacts of climate change, including drought. These included halving leakage by in the water network by 2050, additional supply infrastructure by the 2030s and a national water transfer network to ensure an extra 4,000 Ml/day of supply by 2050 and reduce the need for reliance on emergency drought measures.