The Environment Agency has today launched a new consultation seeking comment on the proposed redesign of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and the roadmap which sets out the EA’s ambition and plan for long-term change.

The WINEP is the most important and substantial programme of environmental investment in England - the programme of work water companies in England are required to do to meet their obligations from environmental legislation and UK government policy.

The WINEP is currently developed by the EA and Natural England in consultation with water companies. It focuses on the actions that are required to meet new environmental obligations, or existing environmental obligations where evidence or investigations show that action needs to be undertaken.

Through the WINEP, water companies have played a crucial role in protecting and enhancing the water environment. The WINEP, and its predecessor the National Environment Programme (NEP), has been the main mechanism for improving the state of the water environment since 1995.

However, despite continued significant investment from water companies, the Agency says that increasing pressures from harmful pollutants, a growing population, and climate change (pressures are only likely to increase in future) are reducing the effectiveness of the investments made through the WINEP.

For 2020 to 2025 it consists of £5.2 billion of asset improvements, investigations, monitoring and catchment interventions. It sets out how the water industry will contribute to improving the natural environment.

According to the Agency, the water industry has taken steps over the last 3 decades to improve the water environment. However, there is a collective ambition for the WINEP to deliver more for the environment, for customers and for communities.

To help meet the ambition, the Environment Agency, Defra and Ofwat have come together to lead a taskforce to improve the WINEP. They have worked with representatives from water companies, Natural England, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, CCW, and environmental non-governmental organisations.

The organisations have redesigned the WINEP, ahead of the next Price Review in 2024 of water company investments and are proposing the following solutions:

Proposal 1: To introduce a tiered approach for including schemes in the water industry national environment programme

Proposal 2: To better incorporate long-term planning in the development of the water industry national environment programme

Proposal 3: To clearly establish dependencies between the water industry national environment programme and other statutory planning frameworks

Proposal 4: To increase the use of catchment and nature-based solutions

Proposal 5: To take account of wider environmental outcomes when deciding on solutions in the water industry national environment programme

Proposal 6: To increase water company involvement in the water industry national environmental programme development process

Proposal 7: To increase involvement of other organisations and external funding in the water industry national environment programme development process

Deadline to submit responses to consultation is 11:45am on 16 September 2021- click here to access the consultation online.

Click here to download the consultation paper Review of the water industry national environment programme

Click here to download the Draft water industry national environment programme methodology