12 Oct 2023
Visualising carbon and cost hot spots during design decision making. A new project led by Anglian Water and developed thought the Ofwat Innovation Fund aims to support organisations to explore how they can deliver low whole life carbon and cost solutions. Aligned to PAS2080, it provides the detail on the processes, systems, behaviours and culture […]
12 Oct 2023
A new study published in British Medical Journal suggests floods are linked to increased deaths from heart and lung disease. It argues that governments must protect people for weeks after a flooding event, citing reduced access to health services and increased exposure to pathogens. Researchers looked at flood events in multiple countries and found mortality […]
12 Oct 2023
Last week’s floods in New York City overwhelmed drainage systems after more than two inches of rain per hour. Residents living in basements and on ground floods were particularly affected. The events were widely covered, including dramatic videos and pictures, by Sky News, the BBC, the Guardian and elsewhere.
05 Oct 2023
Water company business plans have been submitted to Ofwat. The five-year plans cover the period 2025 to 2030 and collectively amount to £96 billion of proposed investment, an 88% increase on the previous five years. According to the sector body Water UK, the investment “will secure water supplies against the rising prevalence of drought, ensure […]
05 Oct 2023
The Westminster government has announced that the introduction of mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) in England has been delayed from November until January for larger sites developed through the town and country planning system, and April 2024 for small sites. BNG will not be mandatory for national infrastructure projects until 2025. The delay has not […]
05 Oct 2023
The State of Nature 2023 report shows that wildlife decline continues at an alarming rate in the UK. The report collates data from wildlife and reporting schemes to paint a comprehensive picture of biodiversity loss. The report finds a 19% average decline in UK species and one in six species at risk of extinction. The […]
05 Oct 2023
There have been numerous recent incidents of blue-green algae at the UK’s largest lake in County Armagh and elsewhere across Northern Ireland. Reported by the BBC and elsewhere, the situation at the lake, which provides 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, has become a political issue. There have been 168 confirmed reports of toxic blue-green […]
05 Oct 2023
Last week saw the publication by Ofwat of the Water Company Performance Report 2022-23, which focused on the £114mn that companies will be forced to pay back customers for poor performance. The Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has issued a strongly worded statement, calling the “extremely disappointing”. She says: “While I acknowledge there is good work […]
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