Defra publishes Water White paper: “Water for Life”

Defra_White_Paper

"Water for Life" describes a vision for future water management in which the water sector is resilient, in which water companies are more efficient and customer focused and in which water is valued as the precious and finite resource it is. And it explains that we all have a part to play in the realisation of this vision.

The key reforms recognised by the government are:

  • We will publish a draft Water Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in early 2012 and introduce a Water Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows;
  • We will produce a new strategic policy statement and social and environmental guidance for Ofwat during 2012;
  • With the Environment Agency, we will support catchment pilots across the country, with particular focus on 25 which will be evaluated in early 2013;
  • We will put in place new arrangements to work with stakeholders on design of a new abstraction regime in early 2012;
  • We will intensify our efforts to deal with the legacy of unsustainable abstraction, publishing information on progress on the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction programme in 2012;
  • We will publish final social tariff guidance in early 2012; and
  • We will produce a draft guideline for the next water resources management planning round during 2012.

Further information can be found here