New national standards to combat flooding by encouraging the use of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) could end up being a barrier to widespread adoption, unless they are properly considered, water engineers have warned.
Alex Stephenson, chairman of the British Water SUDS group, said this week that mechanisms to fund SUDS under the draft Flood and Water Management Bill did not add up.
Speaking at the Labour Party fringe, he said: ‘The suggestion that transferring ownership of private sewers to water companies in 2011 would save local authorities enough money to fund SUDS adoption just won’t work. Many local authorities don’t even have private sewers in the first place.’
He said the Bill highlighted the Government’s preference for natural, above-ground SUDS techniques. ‘We all want to see such schemes,’ he added. ‘My fear is that where the ground conditions make such schemes impracticable, existing tried and trusted technologies will by ruled out because they are viewed as a last resort.’
His concerns echo those of the Environment, food and rural affairs select committee, which concluded last week that the ‘work in progress’ draft legislation might need to be delayed until the next parliament or pushed through in slimmed-down form (Surveyor, 25 September 2009).
Also at the fringe, flooding minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, indicated that an ‘emergency Bill’ might be included in the Queen’s Speech, and that if a Bill failed to pass in the current session it could be further delayed by the different priorities of a new incoming government.
But Mr Stephenson said: ‘It’s true that current draft legislation raises many questions. But the job in hand is for the Government to listen to the 600 consultations now received and make progress as quickly as possible.’
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