Key project highlights
Utilised
current literature, research and a range of water quality monitoring data as well as the Water Resources Management Planning (WRMP) process.
Evaluated
the quality and quantity of water quality monitoring data, and the severity of impacts such as extreme weather events and climate change on drinking water quality and availability.
Created
a more robust Water Resource Management Plan process, accounting for some of the future water supply risks which may be missed out within the current process.
Climate change questions remain unanswered
Water Resource Management Planning (WRMP) is a required function and statutory requirement for water companies to ensure the long-term balance between supply and demand is maintained, whilst addressing a number of challenges now and in the future.
The current WRMP process considers the impact of climate change on the quantity of water available, but there is little consideration of how climate change will impact the quality of the available water. This raises several questions which remain unanswered by the National Framework for Water Resources, touching upon long-term water quality risk…
- How well understood are the longer-term risks, in terms of factors impacting on raw water quality (such as agricultural pollution and pesticides), as well as climate change and risks (such as treatment work processes and treatment work costs)?
- Is the current data collected by regulators and water companies sufficient to make a robust longer-term assessment of raw water quality risks in relation to factors such as source availability and compliance?
- Is there sufficient data to make robust historic assessments and analyse periods of extreme weather such as floods and droughts?
Our solution for a robust WRMP process
Review and assessment
Our experts reviewed current literature and research around future water quality risks, focusing on the impact of climate change, and identified how this may affect future water supply to provide a high-level assessment of the potential risks.
Guidance creation
Best practice guidance was developed in terms of water treatment works data collection and monitoring, for companies to ensure they can better understand the linkage between raw water quality and the outputs from the process.
Framework development
A risk management framework was designed to help companies justify data improvements, thereby enhance their assessment of long-term raw water quality risks due to climate change.