Dave Ferguson - 2-Mar-2007 - The Environment Agency remains to be convinced that Thames Water needs to build a new reservoir to the south west of Abingdon.

The Environment Agency believes that Thames Water has not fully answered the following three questions:

How much water does Thames Water need to supply customers in the future?
Which measures would best meet or manage future demand for water?
If a reservoir is needed where might it be located?
Craig Woolhouse, an area manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We accept that Thames Water and other water companies in the south east of England cannot meet the forecast growth in demand for water solely through demand management, such as metering and leakage reduction.

“Thames Water continues to respond to our questions and challenges on how much water is needed for the future and our discussion continues.

“In December we received more information on Thames Water’s justification of need for more water. This information was in response to Thames Water’s failure to meet its leakage targets. We are reviewing this information.

“Thames Water still has a way to go – and more questions to answer – before we are convinced that a reservoir of this size and scale is the right solution to meet longer term needs.”

Thames Water's proposals include building a major new reservoir near Abingdon, tackling leakage, and encouraging customers to use water more efficiently, including the use of metering.

Stage One of its consultation, which began in September 2006, set out how much water it predicts it needs for the future, what options it has looked at to meet this need and the possible location for a reservoir.

The Stage Two consultation, which finishes on 3 March 2007, was about conservation, landscape, the impact of construction and after use of its proposed reservoir.

Mr Woolhouse added: “Despite our current reservations about the justification for a reservoir, we have looked at each stage of the public consultations as they have been rolled out by Thames Water. This is because if a reservoir is built, we want to ensure we are involved from the beginning to ensure we get the best for both people and the environment.”

As Thames Water’s second public consultation about the proposed scheme closes, the Environment Agency says the company still has to answer crucial questions about the project, including:

The three questions from Stage One:

How much water does Thames Water need to supply customers in the future?
Which measures would best meet or manage future demand for water?
If a reservoir is needed where might it be located?
Other questions raised during Stage Two:

The impact on flood risk from the construction of a reservoir
The potential impacts of a reservoir on water quality and quantity on the River Thames
The operational uses of a reservoir
The potential impacts of a reservoir on ecology and river users
Notes

The Environment Agency’s response to the Stage One and Stage Two consultations are available on the website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk/utmrd

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UK construction industry faces commercial extinction if it does not adapt to climate change

Head Office Press Office - 01-Mar-2007 - The UK construction industry faces commercial extinction if it does not come up with building designs that help people adapt to climate change. That is the stark message delegates at today’s ECOBUILD conference heard from Environment Agency Chairman Sir John Harman.

"Climate change is happening. Decades of unsustainable development have placed significant pressure on the environment. How we adapt to it is the challenge facing planners, architects, developers, construction engineers, innovators and investors. It also offers significant financial opportunities," said Sir John, who was also co-chair of the Sustainable Buildings Task Group.

"The built environment has a major role to play in getting us back on course, as it is the most important contributor to the UK carbon account. The energy used in constructing, occupying and operating buildings represents half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK! And this is not a static industry. The Government wants to increase the annual rate of house building to 200,000.

"It is also setting targets to improve environmental performance and developers will need to respond. Like it or not, we face the prospect of a complete rethink of design; and some would say not before time. This presents initial costs and risk; but the alternative is commercial extinction.

"The good news is energy efficiency standards for new homes are 40% better than those built before 2002 and 70% better than in 11000. But there is still some way to go before the UK matches Europe’s best, and really starts to move towards zero carbon buildings. Currently 70 per cent of homeowners claim to know little or nothing at all about sustainable homes. However, research shows they are becoming increasingly interested in the subject.

"To really grasp the nettle of zero carbon we need to design out the need for home heating, avoid the need for air-conditioning, and design specific onsite and renewable systems to meet our energy requirements such as solar hot water.

"As our understanding of climate change develops it is important we don’t build homes in places that we will regret. We have to recognise that the flood plain is our best natural protection and avoid locating development in areas of unacceptable flood risk."

"Much of the recent focus has been on new homes but we need to do more with existing homes and other buildings," continued Sir John. "The problem is there are few opportunities for intervention to influence the standards of existing stock, but we need some sensible interventions, for example at the time of resale or major refurbishment.

"However, increased efficiency must not simply promote increased consumption. Changes in the way we build, produce energy and make technology more efficient must go hand-in-hand with the changes in behaviour and life style needed if we are to not only survive climate change, but thrive."