ICE calls for urgent overhaul of water infrastructure

Urgent construction of reservoirs and other water infrastructure will be needed across the UK to tackle water security issues, according to a report from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

The ICE’s State of the Nation: Water report says the UK’s ageing water infrastructure system should be modernised with small and medium-scale storage and treatment facilities across the country and more interconnection between networks to help cope with situations like the current drought.

Michael Norton, chair of the ICE Water Expert Panel, said: “We are a populous nation facing a growing gap between what we can supply and what our water users need.Sadly it’s only when hose-pipe bans are inflicted on us that the public has any glimpse of this reality.”

He added: “The changes ICE is recommending will require some upheaval to current regulations, as well as firm decisions on how to forecast future demand, but once this is done we would see the effects relatively quickly.”

The report also said regulatory burdens must be removed from water companies to allow them to make joint investments in water infrastructure.

Further recommendations in the ICE’s paper included an increase in the price of water to encourage wiser use and the setting up of a government taskforce to develop a long-term road map for water security.