Planning for Secure Water Supplies

Water resources across England are under significant stress from too much water being abstracted to too many pollutants finding their way into them.

It’s essential, therefore, that planning for secure supplies takes account of the range of current pressures – and what needs to be done about them – as well as future uncertainties which will compound those pressures. It makes sense to ensure that water users make the best use of the resources available to them, by managing demand and reducing waste, and ensuring they have the resilience to deal with shocks to their systems.

• Responsible for the guidance to water companies in England and Wales on water resource planning, and for auditing their plans and advising Ministers on their adequacy, to ensure secure water supplies at least 25 years into the future. Promoted the need for resilient systems and responses to minimise the risk of supply failure
• Responsible for drought planning and management across England and Wales, and for leading the response to all the major droughts since 1995, and media handling
• Led the establishment of the ‘twin track’ approach to water supply planning, and actively promoted the need for demand management and water efficiency to be an integral part of all companies’ planning and investment. For the first time, demand for water in England is now reducing and water efficiency is seen as an adaptive response to climate change
• Advised venture capital company on the opportunities and risks around international water supply
• Worked with a leading international consultancy on water resilience planning and investment

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