Perhaps there was a very good reason why the Conservative Government backed the Catchment Based Approach and simply got on with delivery and action without tackling that thorny issue of catchment Governance?
The Water Industry Forum – ‘Forward – This document is the result of a workshop and subsequent meetings led by the Water Industry Forum (WIF) during which Anglian Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, Welsh Water, Wessex Water, Yorkshire Water and Mott MacDonald collectively developed a checklist of questions about the Catchment System Operator (CaSO) concept across five thematic areas:
- Economic Regulation
- Drainage and Wastewater Planning, Flood Risk, SuDS and Biosolids
- Waste Water Permitting and Environmental Regulation
- Water resources
- Catchment Management
Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan introduces the concept of a CaSO which will be ‘responsible for the strategic management of natural capital’. It is intended that CaSOs will more effectively deliver the aims of the plan by coordinating the activities of multiple organisations across a discrete geographic area. Water companies are significant investors in natural capital and so want to engage with others to help influence the development of the CaSO concept. This checklist highlights matters of interest to water companies which would be affected by any proposals for a CaSO and sets out the sorts of questions the water industry would ask of model developers and policymakers in an effort to assist them to formulate and present such proposals. The checklist was subsequently presented to, and endorsed by, the Water UK Environment Policy Advisory Group.
It is anticipated that further questions will be identified by other stakeholders.
Special thanks go to Mott MacDonald for their support in this work, particularly for the hosting of meetings and the preparation of this document.’
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