9th Annual UK Groundwater Forum Conference

Groundwater Resources Planning: the next 25 years

John Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, London, 13 May 2008

Through Water Resource Management Plans water companies show how in the long term they intend to provide sufficient drinking water while protecting the environment. Development is underway of the latest versions of these Plans due for publication in 2009 which will cover a 25-year period starting in 2010. In April 2008 these plans will be put out for public consultation.

The UK Groundwater Forum held a one-day conference to allow discussion of issues arising from these draft Plans. The meeting focussed on groundwater aspects of the Plans. It gave the water companies an opportunity to share approaches in addressing the challenges that have arisen in developing their Plans. It also gave the wider groundwater community the opportunity to get a better understanding of the difficulties the water industry is facing.

The conference of invited speakers included talks from five water companies, from a wide geographical spread, which set out the long term groundwater issues in their region. Introductory talks explained the requirements of legislation in relation to long term water resource planning. Presentations were also made which examined the balance between water supply and the environment in the 25-year timescale and asked whether we have to redefine sustainability.

Conference Programme

Morning Session: Chair, Denis Peach, Chief Scientist, British Geological Survey

Introduction (PDF 0.3 Mb)
Denis Peach, British Geological Survey/Chair of UK Groundwater Forum Steering Committee

Water resource planning: regulatory requirements (PDF 0.9 Mb)
Trevor Bishop, Head of Water Resource Management, Environment Agency

Getting the balance right: water resource planning in the UK (PDF 1.3 Mb)
Bruce Horton, Policy Development Adviser, Water UK

20th Century problems, 21st Century solutions: Groundwater in the north-west of England (PDF 2.8 Mb)
Phil Merrin, Groundwater Manager, United Utilities

Groundwater aspects of Three Valleys long term water resource planning (PDF 2.7 Mb)
Rob Sage, Water Resources Manager, Three Valleys Water

Afternoon Session: Chair, John Tellam, Professor of Hydrogeology, University of Birmingham

Using groundwater models for water resource and drought planning (PDF 7.1 Mb)
Andy Neve, Technical Director, Portsmouth Water & Rob Soley, Technical Director, Entec

Groundwater deployable output assessment through the consideration of historic severe droughts (PDF 0.7 Mb)
Mike Packman, Chief Hydrogeologist, Southern Water

Predicting nitrate levels for Wessex Water's long term water resource planning (PDF 2.3 Mb)
Nick Rukin, Associate Director, Entec

Improving climate prediction for water resource planning (PDF 0.5 Mb)
Nigel Arnell, Director, Walker Institute for Climate System Research

Do we need to redefine sustainability? (PDF 1.4 Mb)
Steve Tuck, Principal Hydrologist, Thames Water

Discussion and Summing-up (PDF 0.1 Mb)
Denis Peach, British Geological Survey/Chair of UK Groundwater Forum Steering Committee

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