September 2011
Halcrow has published a report outlining a new, innovative and integrated approach to water management in England and Wales.
Developed by Michael Norton, global director of Halcrow’s urban water business and engineer Alexander Lane, the report evaluates the management of water resources in England and Wales, identifying weaknesses in the current approach and proposing alternative approaches and specific solutions.
Commenting on the report’s content Michael Norton said:
“Water is the planet's essential resource, the primary control on health and crucial to the security of food, energy and biodiversity. Despite this, water's role is not well understood and this precious resource remains undervalued. Consequently, we lack an adequately integrated approach to its management. Increased water demands from a growing population are being magnified by the impacts of climate change, which will intensify water scarcity in many regions with high dependence on water. We need a fundamental change in how we value and manage our water.
“New Water Architecture” is a new approach to integrated water management. It is a framework at the heart of which is the application of both traditional and innovative infrastructure to capture, store, transfer and re-use water, slowing down its passage across our landscape and taking advantage of its spatial and temporal distribution. The framework seeks to improve the physical links between water resources and water users of all types; domestic, industrial, agricultural and ecosystems. The concept is supported by changes to the ways in which abstractions are controlled and prices charged, and it takes a new look at the value of wastewater as a resource rather than a waste”.
Click here to read the ‘‘New Water Architecture’ report.