Water Cycle Study - East Devon District Council

Ref EWCS April 2010
Exeter and East Devon Water Cycle Study
Environment Agency Policy
7.7.11 In March 2009 the Environment Agency launched their Water Resources Strategy for England &
Wales. The strategy sets out how the Environment Agency believe water resources should be
managed within the frameworks set out by Defra in its water strategy for England ‘Future Water’.
7.7.12 The strategy includes a series of actions that the Environment Agency believes need to be taken to
deliver a secure water supply and safeguard the environment. The strategy looks to 2050 and
beyond and is supported by a number of specific studies. The Environment Agency’s vision for
water resources is for there to be enough water for people and the environment, meeting
legitimate needs. To support this vision, aims and objectives have been established which the
Water Resources strategy has been designed to achieve. One aim of the strategy is that “Good
water management contributes to sustainable development by supporting people and the economy
in an improved environment. The objectives of this include;
• Adoption of the twin track approach of resource development alongside demand management
in all sectors of water use.
• In England, the average amount of water used per person in the home is reduced to 130 litres
each day by 2030.
• The Environment Agency targets and adapts its approach to reflect the location and timing of
pressures on water resources.
• In England, water companies implement near-universal metering of households, starting in areas
of serious water stress (the majority of homes in water-stressed areas to be metered by 2015).
• Leakage from mains and supply pipes is reduced (support targets based upon sustainable
economic level of leakage).
• New and existing homes and buildings are more water efficient.
• Water resources are allocated efficiently and are shared within regions where there are areas
of surplus.
7.7.13 The strategy also aims to ensure “People value water and enjoy their water environment and
understand how it contributes to their quality of life”. This will be achieved through the following
objectives:
• Water pricing for the abstraction and use of water acts as an incentive for the sustainable use
of water resources.
• Abstractors and users make informed choices to use water more efficiently.
• Innovative tariffs are adopted by water companies to maximise savings and minimise issues of
affordability.
• The needs of wildlife, fisheries, navigation and recreation, as well as the environment and
abstractors, are fully taken into account when allocating water resources.
• Innovative technology is developed to improve water efficiency by all water users.
• The Environment Agency is also proposing to publish regional action plans in autumn 2009.
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