FLOODING, PITT REVIEW AND DRAFT FLOODS

1
FLOODING, PITT REVIEW AND DRAFT FLOODS WATER
MANAGEMENT BILL

• RICHARD VENTERS
• LEGAL ADVISER, WATER UK

2
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Background (1)-
• Summer Floods 2007
• Pitt Review Final Recommendations
• Draft Floods Water Management Bill
• Emergencies
• Infrastructure Resilience

3
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Background (2)-
• Current Legislation
• Water Framework Directive 2000
• Floods Directive 2007
• Water Resources Act 1991
• Land Drainage Act 1991
• Environment Act 1995
• Reservoirs Act 1975
• Water Industry Act 1991
• Water Act 2003
• Highways Act 1980
• Building Act 1984

4
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Background (3)-
• Current Responsible Bodies
• DEFRA DCLG
• Regional Planning Boards
• Environment Agency Regional Committees
• Internal Drainage Boards
• Navigation Authorities
• Highway Local Authorities
• Sewerage Undertakers
• Agricultural Lands Tribunals
• Riparian and Property Owners

5
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Pitt Review Recommendations (1)-
• Government direction and leadership
• Environment Agency national overview
• Fluvial and pluvial flooding
• Local Authorities flood risk management
• SUDS ownership and responsibilities

6
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Pitt Review Recommendations (2)-
• Infrastructure Resilience
• Surface Water Sewers national minimum standards
• Public Sewers removal of right of connection
• Reservoirs risk based criteria
• Legislation single unifying Act of Parliament

7
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Floods Water Management Bill (1)-
• Pt 1 Flood Coastal Erosion Risk Management
• Pt 2 Risk Management Designation of Features
• Pt 3 Reservoirs
• Pt 4 Water Administration Regime
• Pt 5 Sustainable Drainage
• Pt 6 Water Industry Regulation
• Plus abstraction licensing, charges
  competition?

8
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Floods Water Management Bill (2)-
• Extension of Scope
• - surface water runoff groundwater
• Supervisory Bodies
• - Environment Agency
• - Lead Local Flood Authority
• - unitary authority or county council

9
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (1)-
• Environment Agency
• strategy for flood coastal erosion risk
  management
• guidance to LLFAs, IDBs, district councils,
  highway authorities water companies
• subject to directions from DEFRA

10
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (2)-
• Lead Local Flood Authority
• strategy for local flood risk management
  ordinary watercourses, surface water run-off
  groundwater
• guidance to IDBs, district councils, highway
  authorities water companies

11
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (3)-
• Structural and Environmental Works
• EA sea defence and main rivers
• LLFAs surface water run-off groundwater
• IDBs other LAs ordinary watercourses

12
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (4)-
• LLFAs Additional Functions
• Floods determine which body performs what
  function
• Registers structures and features relevant to
  flood risks

13
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (5)-
• Funding
• Environment Agency
• Grants
• Levies on LLFAs under S74 of Local Government
  Finance Act 1988

14
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (6)-
• Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments
• Environment Agency (December 2011)
• preliminary assessment map topography land use
• preliminary assessment report floods
  consequences
• sea, main rivers reservoirs
• LLFA (June 2011)
• preliminary assessment report ordinary
  watercourses, surface water run-off and
  groundwater

15
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 1 (7)-
• Significant Flood Risks
• Environment Agency
• flood hazard map areas at risk of flooding
• flood risk map consequences of flooding
• flood risk management plan for management of
  risk
• LLFA
• flood hazard map
• flood risk map
• flood risk management

16
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 7-
• Construction Standards for Sewers
• prescription of minimum construction standards
  for all future sewers and lateral drains
• precondition for connection to public sewerage
  system

17
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 6(1)-
• Sustainable Drainage (1)
• Minister national standards
• Approving Body (unitary authority or county
  council)
• approve design before construction
• consult sewerage undertaker
• inspection of works
• non-performance bond
• adoption of works

18
DRAFT FLOODS WATER BILL

• Draft Water Bill, Part 6(2)-
• Sustainable Drainage (2)
• SUDS interconnection with public sewerage
  system, subject to the approval of the SUDS
  Approving Body (SAB)