The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the Water Resources Management Plan Direction 2012 for England and Wales which comes into force today.
The Direction updates existing guidance on the preparation of WRMPs by the water companies and applies to the period commencing 1st April 2015, setting out the requirements for the water companies to each prepare a plan for a period of 25 years starting on that date. Matters which the Direction says must be addressed in any water resources management plan by each individual company include a description of the following:-
- how frequently it expects it may need to impose prohibitions or restrictions on its customers in relation to the use of water;
- the appraisal methodologies which it used in choosing the measures it intends to take or continue and its reasons for choosing those measures;
- the emissions of greenhouse gases which are likely to arise as a result of each measure;
- how the supply and demand forecasts contained in the water resources management plan have taken into account the implications of climate change;
- how it has estimated future household demand in its area over the planning period, including the assumptions it has made in relation to population and housing numbers;
- its estimate of the increase in the number of domestic premises in its area, over the planning period, in respect of which it will be required to fix charges;
- where the whole or part of its area has been determined by the Secretary o f State to be an area of serious water stress under regulation 4(1) of the Regulations, its estimate of the number of domestic premises which are in the area of serious water stress;
- its estimate of the increase in the number of domestic premises in its area full details of the likely effect of what is forecast on demand for water in its area;
- the estimated cost to it in relation to the installation and operation of water meters to meet what is forecasted and a comparison of that cost with the other measures which it might take to manage demand for water, or increase supplies of water, in its area to meet its obligations under Part III of the Water Industry Act 1991;
- a programme for the implementation of what is forecasted.
Click here to read the Direction in full.