How will the draft Flood and Water Management Bill help us manage surface water?
The draft Flood and Water Management Bill, published in April 2009, brings some clarity to surface water management. While we would have a strategic overview for all flooding and coastal erosion in England, our executive duties and capital projects would continue to concentrate on risk-based protection for rivers and the sea. The proposed duty for local authorities is to produce local flood risk management plans – covering flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. The bill also proposes removal of the automatic right to connect new developments to the public sewerage system, and legal requirements for sustainable drainage. These measures for surface water and sewerage management would also address important water quality issues, as well as flood risk issues.
