PFRAs published online
In December 2011 the Environment Agency published Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments (PFRAs), produced by Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) in England and Wales, online. The PFRAs are the first part of the planning cycle for flooding set out in the Flood Risk Regulations (2009) which implement the requirements of the European Floods Directive. The Floods Directive aims to provide a consistent approach to managing flooding across Europe.
The PFRA for each area collects information already available on past floods and from existing flood models to identify Flood Risk Areas. The PFRAs are organised by River Basin Districts with the Micro Drainage office location, Newbury, part of West Berkshire Council falling in the Thames region. Included in the West Berkshire Council PFRA is the Thatcham Surface Water Management Plan which included modelling in Micro Drainage software.
Why not have a look at where you live and work?
Link to PFRA Information http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/135491.aspx
Link to Information on Flood Risk Regulations http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/125459.aspx
Link to West Berkshire Council PFRA http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/FLHO1211BVSS-E-E.pdf
Code for Sustainable Homes Factsheet
The Micro Drainage team were delighted to receive feedback at their Autumn workshops on the drainage industry issues of greatest importance. One item which came up time and time again was the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH).
To help with using WinDes software to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Category 4: Surface Water Runoff Sur 1 section, Micro Drainage has produced a Fact Sheet. Based on the work process required to fill in the Sur 1 Summary Template, it takes a step-by-step approach to completing a CSH design. The factsheet is available to download from the company website <CSH Fact Sheet>.
Piped Up! – 2011 in review
Happy New Year to you all.
Thank you those that commented on Piped Up! posts in 2011. The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared an annual report for the blog: just follow the link below if you want to see the statistics. We were particularly pleased to see that readers come from all around the world.
We are looking forward to posting more news and views from the drainage community in 2012.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
England follows Wales in Sewer Standards
Yesterday Defra opened consultation on adoption of new sewers and lateral drains.
The Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011 came in to force on 1st July 2011 and existing private sewers and lateral drains became the responsibility of water and sewerage undertakers in England and Wales on 1st October 2011.
Separate consultation has already begun in Wales, as we reported in Piped Up! on 10th November. Now Defra wants to implement a process of automatic adoption for all new foul sewers and lateral drains in England, backed up by national build standards.
You only have until 31st January to comment, and Defra welcomes views on adoption arrangements and regulation, and build standards and their impact. You can download the consultation documents here.
Defra SuDS consultation launched
Defra’s consultation on the Implementation of the Sustainable Drainage Provisions in Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) begins today. A total of fifteen documents are available to download covering the Draft National Standards and information on Approval, Enforcement and Appeals.
Responses are encouraged via an online survey and the consultation runs until 13 March 2012.
For more information see the Defra webpage.
Updated framework to assist development of Local FRM Strategies
The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a 2nd Edition of their ‘Framework to assist the development of the Local Strategy for Flood Risk Management’. The refresh, published in November 2011, updates the February 2011 version taking account of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy.
Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) have a statutory duty to produce and implement a local strategy for Flood Risk Management (FRM). Some local authorities have already made significant progress and are sharing their experiences on the Communities of Practice FlowNet forum.
The LGA framework is available here.
Water White Paper
Yesterday Defra published its Water White Paper, Water for Life, describing “a vision for future water management”.
Whilst the paper focuses on dealing with issues such as abstraction, competition, pricing and efficiency we also see aspects relevant to drainage. Improving water quality in rivers by tackling water pollution will be required for the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) obligations. With a catchment-based approach being taken, stormwater drainage will have to be considered.
Already the Environment Agency is supporting 10 WFD catchment pilot studies with 70 expressions of interest come forward. Focus will be on 25 pilots to be evaluated early in 2013. In addition a National Strategy on Urban Diffuse Pollution will be consulted on in 2012. Sustainable drainage systems are likely to be part of the solution, by providing water quality improvement and other environmental benefits.
Sustainable drainage systems are also mentioned as a method to reduce pressure on the sewer network. The anticipated consultation on National SuDS Standards and a new sustainable drainage approval system also gets a mention, as does a strategic approach to drainage planning.
As well the catchment pilots, a draft Water Bill is expected in early 2012 to deliver the strategy.
Click below for more information.
Defra Press Release: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/12/08/spelman-water-reform-needed-to-tackle-threat-of-future-droughts/
Defra Water White Paper: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/legislation/whitepaper/
