The Association of Drainage Authorities is highlighting next week’s FLOODEX conference in Peterborough on 18th and 19th May, saying it will play a vital role in bringing together key players in the industry to help find new ways of managing water levels and flood risk. 

The Association is the membership organisation for water level management authorities in the UK, with over 230 members and associate members, including Internal Drainage Boards, Local Authorities and Regional Flood & Coastal Committees. 

According to ADA, the consequences of not doing enough to work with the forces of nature have, once again, become all too evident earlier this year with peoples’ lives being turned upside down, businesses threatened and critical infrastructure damaged.

The Association has for many years been arguing the case for prioritising what should be done to manage water in the UK, starting with making sure that river and drainage systems are all in a good state of maintenance and repair.

ADA commented:

“Successive governments come up with political statements about not letting this sort of thing happen again, but it will, somewhere and at some point in time.”

“Our understanding of how we can live, work with and manage the variety of climatic events that can so easily devastate peoples’ lives, damage our environment and hurt our economic wellbeing, now requires renewed and innovative thinking.”

“Rightly so, we focus our attention on those areas most at risk of flooding. We have also channelled spending on flood defences in those areas, only to see them overwhelmed by the most recent flood events.”

Catchment-wide approach to manage water now needed

The Association is calling for a catchment-wide approach to managing water from the highest points in hills and mountains to estuaries and lowland areas. Looking at catchments, ADA said there are many variables at play, and sources of water such as river water, surface water, ground water and sewage systems. In coastal areas, the risks of tidal flooding also have to be considered. ADA said:

“There are also a number of managers of those various sources of water and increasingly, they are working together to co-ordinate a single catchment management plan, but we have still have a long way to go. Kneejerk reaction is natural but a carefully considered plan calling on the country’s technical experts to have a full, proper and innovative review of our options is now needed.”

Treasury traditionally likes capital spend – revenue spending is far less attractive

On flood defence funding, ADA said the UK operates to a set of rules about how funding is provided for flood defences – their operation and maintenance - which is split into two streams known as capital and revenue funding, commenting:

“Traditionally, government Treasury officials have a liking for capital spending because the results of that spending are visible and help gain a degree of popularity with whoever the government of the day is.”

“Revenue spending is far less attractive because it involves paying for staff and resources which, whilst being vitally important for keeping water levels under control, is often not nearly as visible and is used as an easy scapegoat for making savings.”

ADA is calling for this trend to be reversed and acceptance that a sensible balance of capital and revenue spending across river catchments is now essential, with all water level managers (the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards) provided with revenue funding to allow them to properly maintain watercourses. Such a move will also encourage private funding and investment over time, ADA says.

ADA is calling for a number of issues to now be considered more carefully, namely;

• Water levels and flood risk should be managed on a whole life approach.
• Investment for maintenance should be increased and determined on a multiyear basis.
• The Government’s six-year capital investment programme should remain in place and be balanced against increased maintenance spending.
• Where Government withdraws from work because it is not cost effective under their funding formula, they should ‘invest to save’ so that local communities can take greater ownership of water level management assets and operations, through devolved accountability and decision making.
• Encourage land managers to contribute toward, and play a part in, flood risk management delivery.
• Support investment in water level and flood risk management innovation to enable new techniques to develop that allow us to adapt to our changing climate.

ADA is jointly organising next week’s conference and is expecting a wide-ranging audience to attend the event. 

Innes Thomson, Chief Executive of ADA and one of the keynote speakers at FLOODEX 2016, commented:

 “ We are delighted to have a great range of exhibitors from across the water level and flood risk management sectors, keen to promote their services and products. And we look forward to welcoming an equally broad range of visitors to take advantage of the skills, knowledge, expertise and networking opportunity all under one roof “

Speakers at the seminars will include key figures from the sector including Alison Baptiste, Head of Flood & Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency, Peter Simpson, CEO Anglian Water, Richard Wills, Executive Director, Lincolnshire County Council, Andrew McGill, CEO, Water Management Consortium, together with a guest speaker from Defra.

FLOODEX 2016 is free to attend and offers valuable continued professional development (CPD) through the various seminar sessions planned in parallel with the trade exhibition. For more information and  to register your interest in attending, visit the FLOODEX website at www.floodex.co.uk

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