bathing waters an industry perspective …...2015/11/11 · the future of catchment partnerships...
TRANSCRIPT
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015
10 - 11 November 2015
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh
BATHING WATERS –
AN INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
‘THE FUTURE OF BATHING WATER COMPLIANCE –
HOW MIGHT CATCHMENT BASED SOLUTIONS BE DELIVERED?’
Dr Stephen Bird Chair of the Water UK Marine Network
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Overview
The industries regulatory framework
What has driven the industries investment?
The traditional solutions
Benefits to UK bathing water quality
A few key messages
Key challenges to compliance and the perception of quality
CSOs are not the only risk
Diffuse Urban Control – Torbay
Upstream & Downstream Thinking
Community Engagement
Improving public understanding
The future of catchment partnerships
1. Water quality
directives
2. UK regulations
and law
4.Design and AMP Plan 4.Costs
3. UK policy targets and National Environment Programme (NEP)
4. Affordability & Benefits
6. Directive compliance reporting
5. Agreed NEP and UK
compliance reporting
Five Year Cycles
The industries regulatory framework
‘Water Future’ Customer
Panels
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Water and Sewerage Companies
Traditionally focussed on engineering solutions ‘Rigid’ investment cycles potentially limiting solutions
What has driven the industries investment?
Key marine regulatory ‘drivers’:
Urban Waste Treatment (2004)
Bathing Waters (1992 & 2013)
Shellfish Waters (1997 & 2006)
‘Habitats and Species’ (2010)
What will be the new ‘drivers’ in the 21st Century?
Protecting public health and well being
Supporting growth aspirations (tourism)
Supporting solutions to persistently “poor” bathing waters
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
The traditional solutions
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
c. £40 billion spent across UK since
1990 improving waste water discharges
Will ‘hard’ engineering continue to
deliver WQ benefits?
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Benefits to UK bathing water quality
“Bathing water quality has improved steadily since 1988,
largely as a result of improvements to the sewerage
system by water companies”.
(Defra 6th November 2014)
Source: UK EEA Report 2014
Are we reaching a
benefits plateau?
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
A few key messages Statement of Obligations; Defra (2012) – for Price Review 2015-20
Reinforced key messages and approaches from:
Natural Environment White Paper; ‘The Natural Choice’ (2011) and
Water White Paper; ‘Water for Life’ (2011)
• water industry services are essential to health, wellbeing and economy
• ‘ecosystems approach’ advocated
• management of the water environment across a whole catchment
• increasing pressure from population growth and a changing climate means
there is a need to see changes in the way water is managed
• Water companies will need to be more innovative, more efficient and more
attentive to what their customers want
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
We do have a much better understanding of the sources
But how do we deliver improvements in the future?
Key challenges to compliance and
the perception of quality
R² = 0.9775
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 100 200 300 400 500
EA PRF & SWWL BeachLive Correlation (All Bathing Waters) 2014
Catchment Risks
vs
CSO Risks
EA PRF Cumulative Total (SWWL Region)
Beach
Liv
e N
oti
ficati
on
s C
um
ula
tiv
e T
ota
l (A
ll B
ath
ing
Wate
rs)
Good Correlation between EA
PFR & BeachLive Notifications
Not all BWs are EA PRF
and/or BeachLive sites
Ratio BeachLIve EAPRF
No. of Sites 1 1.5
No. of Notifications 1 2.7
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
CSOs are not the only risk
Diffuse Urban Control - Torbay
SWWL and Torbay funded
Partnership approach
Torbay streams to BWs
144 illegal connections to SW
investigated and removed
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Upstream thinking – why?
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Diffuse Agriculture Human
Avian Diffuse Urban
Microbial Source Tracking
Conventional bacti analysis Source apportionment
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Upstream thinking - solutions
Source: Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Rural SUDS for surface
water management
EA / CWT matched funded
Downstream thinking – why?
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Downstream thinking - solutions
Application of existing and innovative
technology
New ways of delivery working
Greater information and communication
Optimum use of network capacity
Community engagement at catchment level
(leading to understanding/ownership)
Rectification of historic planning issues
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Souce: Susdrain
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Community Engagement
Why Engage?
Develop mutual understanding
Remove barriers to communication
Promote proactive strategic engagement
Define objectives / risks to development and
growth
Collective messaging credibility
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Improving public understanding
What ‘drives’ the public’s understanding of BWQ?
Who should be delivering the key messages?
SAS Campaign Director, Andy Cummins
“The community are sending a clear message to South West Water, this
level of repeat polluting is unacceptable. There are easy and obvious
solutions and it’s now time for South West Water to listen to SAS and the
community and stop treating the environment as a dumping ground.”
Key ‘Players’
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Improving public understanding
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well
enough” Albert Einstein
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
The future of catchment partnerships
Catchment Management
Function
Upstream thinking
Diffuse Urban
Sewerage Infrastructure
Investment
Sustainable Economic
Development & Growth
Downstream thinking
Public Relations
Research / Monitoring
How do we best manage the interface between function
and delivery?
Catchment Management
Delivery
Water & sewerage Co.s
Environmental regulators
Highways agencies
Local / Unitary Authorities
Private Beach Managers
NGOs
Beach management fora
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
The future of catchment partnerships Keys to successful delivery:
Common understanding (of deliverables, benefits,
regulatory timescales, responsibilities)
Voluntary engagement (supported by a regulatory framework)
Community engagement and ownership for sustainable
delivery
Continuity of funding for ecosystem service changes
Structured programme of mutually supportive interventions
Flexible delivery mechanisms (outcome, not deliverer focused)
The future of catchment partnerships
So, what is the likely role of the Water Industry?
Catchment Management Function Yes / No
Statutory undertaker – protecting public health and well being Yes
Technical / advisory Yes
Supporting sustainable development / growth through tourism Yes
Investing in solutions for ‘poor’ bathing waters Yes
Funding (where this supports objectives) Yes
Collaborative Research Yes
Educator / Public Advice Yes
New technology / solutions Yes
Community engagement Yes
Capacity building / facilitation Yes
Catchment partner organisation Yes
Catchment ‘Operator’ No
UK Bathing Waters Conference 2015 Dr Stephen Bird
10 - 11 November 2015 Chair Water UK Marine Network
Surgeons Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh [email protected]
Thank you for listening
Any questions?