U.K. Experts Call for a Single Storm Water Agency

Drainage experts in the United Kingdom recently called on the government to establish a single agency for addressing flooding issues.

The region's top experts, at the "Lost in the Flood" seminar cosponsored by British Water's Sustainable Drainage Focus Group and Arup, said they want to see less studies and inquiries and more real action.

More than 150 of the U.K.'s most expert water and drainage specialisists attended the seminar, and the Independent Review Body followed up on "Lost in the Flood" by publishing an interim report on the Hull floods. Approximately 7,000 homes were evacuated this summer when the flooding hit; this report grappled with possible causes and presented lessons learned. It also raised concerns about Hull's storm drain pumps and a lack of interagency cooperation.

"The government knows what needs to be done to improve water management," said Richard Ashley, professor at Sheffield University and technical advisor to the government's Select Committee for Science and Technology. "We don not need to do any more studies. Let's get on with it. We need one single agency responsible for storm water--ideally local authorities. But this will never happen, so we need some other agency--possibly a public-private partnership. And it needs to be done urgently."

"There needs to be a concerted attempt to develop an active learning culture amongst all actors, including householders, as they will need to develop the capacity to adapt as climate change kicks in," Ashley added. "We also need to put water as an integral part of our planning systems, not simply flood risk management. And we need proper professionals involved in advising homebuyers about drainage..."

Source: Builder & Engineer