Sustainable planning for water services
Local Authorities
Flood Protection
Water cycle management
Strategic and sustainable planning for water
Every civilisation depends on effective water management, from the supply of clean water and the safe disposal of waste water, to protection from flooding. As the population and demand for water grows we need a sustainable approach to providing water services. The unlimited supply of water cannot always be relied on – particularly in time of extreme drought. Equally, there is a limit to the amount of waste water that can be safely returned to our rivers and the sea without having a detrimental impact on the environment.
Water cycle strategies provide a holistic, integrated and sustainable plan for water services, and consider the impact of anticipated growth in demand. They involve assessing the environment and capacity for water supply, sewage disposal, flood risk management and surface water drainage. They also provide suggestions of efficiency measures and the likely cost of solutions.
Recent legislation and ambitious plans for new developments have increased the requirement for water cycle strategies. With over 200 highly experienced coastal and rivers engineers, Royal Haskoning is well placed to provide water management advice and technical expertise. Using its extensive flood risk management experience, and a dedicated surface water management planning team, it has coordinated and delivered strategies for many authorities and development partnerships over the past three years, with recent commissions within Staffordshire, East Anglia and Worcestershire.
How is a water cycle strategy developed?
Royal Haskoning’s coastal and rivers scientist, Rachel Ranger, has managed a number of water cycle strategy projects, and recently completed a commission for Wyre Forest. “The methodology we use typically involves an initial assessment followed by detailed analysis,” she explains. “The second stage includes a review of how the current and planned water resource infrastructure might constrain development.