Professor Jim Hall - Lead Commissioner on Flooding- at the National Infrastructure Commission will deliver the keynote presentation at the Floodex conference and exhibition which will take place next month on 22nd and 23rd November at the Excel exhibition centre in London’s docklands.

Professor Hall will present the NIC’s Second National Infrastructure Assessment released this week. The Assessment is a five yearly review conducted by the Commission which sets out a programme of transformation for the country’s critical infrastructure over the next 30 years.

Core recommendations the Commission is making to government include preparing for a drier future by putting plans in place to deliver additional water supply infrastructure and reduce leakage, while also reducing water demand, together with setting long term measurable targets and ensuring funded plans are in place to significantly reduce the number of properties that are at risk of flooding by 2055.

Now in its eight year, Floodex UK includes the National Drainage Show and Waterways Management Show. The two day event, which is free to attend, offers a wide-ranging series of seminars which will explore some of the key challenges facing the wider water sector, including climate change, SUDS implementation and nutrient neutrality.

The Environment Agency, CIWEM, CIRIA and Future Water Association are among the leading organizations in the sector supporting Floodex UK, which has become one of the key must-attend events for water industry professionals.

Over the course of two days, attendees will be able to network with industry experts and attend CPD accredited seminars free of charge covering a wide range of topics - from flooding through drainage to waterways management. to attend to complement the exhibition stands and special features.

Hosted by expert speakers, delegates can choose from the following free to attend talks and seminars which are focussed on industry specific subjects.

DRAINAGE THEATRE

Future Water Report Card: Paul Horton - CEO, Future Water Association

A transition from reactive to proactive maintenance efforts is underway, with network monitoring initiatives providing valuable insights for performance enhancement.

Water Dragons 2023: Future Water Association

Now in its 15th year, Water Dragons continues to evolve with the introduction of virtual heats attracting a wide range of entries from both across the sector and around the world. Like all the best ideas, the fundamentals underpinning Water Dragons are simple and straightforward. Companies pitch their innovative product or service to the judges or ‘Dragons’, who cross-examine the presenters, focussing on three key areas.

FLOODEX THEATRE

Keynote 2023/24 National Infrastructure Assessment: Professor Jim Hall - Lead Commissioner on Flooding- at the National Infrastructure Commission will deliver the keynote presentation. Building a more climate resilient UK and covering all aspects of the flooding and climate resilience recommendations set out in in the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

The NIA sets out the Commission's assessment of long term needs in the transport, energy, water and wastewater, flood resilience, digital, and waste sectors, and recommendations to meet them, including the policy, regulatory and funding mechanisms.

Drought Management: Jo Bradley - Stormwater Shepherds for professionals working in Flood Risk Management to encourage them to consider the need to conserve water in their concepts and designs

Groundwater: The Forgotten Flooding: Jed Ramsay - Project Groundwater Project Leader - Bucks Council The story of how groundwater flooding has for too long been left on the ‘too difficult’ pile and the work in action to address this. Project Groundwater, led by Jed Ramsay, is aiming to bring national change through the demonstration of innovative techniques, tools and outputs to improve modelling, mapping, monitoring, warning and responding to groundwater flooding.

Surface Water Flooding: Ed Beard - Water & Flooding Lead - National Infrastructure Commission Developing a whole-system approach to resilience.

SUDS THEATRE

From 2024 SuDS will be mandatory for most new construction in England and will require a SuDS-specific authorization by the SuDS Approval Body (SAB) prior to construction starting (even where planning permission is not required).

CIRIA / susdrain will be hosting a two day seminar programme in the SuDS Theatre, with presentations by experts and prominent speakers. The seminars will offer delegates invaluable insight into how the compliance regime required under the new legislation will work. It will also provide the opportunity to discover the benefits of retrofitting SuDS and discover when and how this can be implemented in the most effective way.

Why resilience? Why do places need to be resilient? How do SuDS help? Why do SuDS need to be resilient? Who needs to know what? Getting everyone on board to keep them functioning

Green infrastructure that stays green: Practitioner focused – CSO reduction, learning from Philadelphia, why planting matters

Modelling for resilience: What needs to be included, defining functionality, what data should be collected to improve modelling for long-term functionality

SuDS Pod maintenance and management: How to look after the SuDS Pod, what homeowners need to know, how to make sure they are kept functional

Within curtilage SuDS – A paradigm shift: Brian D'Arcy The urgent need to think differently, conserve water, reuse it locally, plan development to include SuDS, get homeowners on board – how easy it is to manage

Receiving water – our valuable resource: Jo Bradley Stormwater Shepherds Surface water carries pollutants, SuDS can reduce nitrates, phosphates, road runoff pollution, but only if they are working properly – what to consider

Public realm SuDS – Keeping everyone on board: GLA /Enfield speaker TBC SuDS are new in the public realm, people, contractors and utilities need to be aware of them, how do we explain what they’re for and how to manage them?

Biodiversity – A chance to recover: including dangers of gully pots and opportunities of SuDS

WATERWAYS THEATRE

Canal & River Invasive Species Eradication Project: Charles Hughes - BSc (Hons) MCIWEM INNS Project Manager & Environmental Scientist

How Canal & River Trust Handles Day To Day Water Management: Adam Comerford - National Hydrology Manager This presentation will explain the way the Trust delivers day to day water management to ensure all current and future demands for water for the 200 year old canal network can be met, utilising supplies from over 70 reservoirs, 150 abstraction points and over 60 pumping stations. It will explore the complex challenges of maintaining water levels in the face of future pressures such as climate change, funding, asset deterioration, new legislation as well as changes in patterns of usage of the network, for both powered and unpowered navigation.

First International Fish Impingement and Entrainment : Andy Turnpenny - Independent Fisheries Consultant, Paul Coulson FIFM - Director of Operations

Rivers Trust & CAMELLIA: Dr Adrian Callaghan (Imperial College) - For Rivers Trust & CAMELLIA

UKSTT Central To Trenchless Zone: A dedicated area for trenchless technology, the Trenchless Technology Zone is hosted by the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology

In addition to the seminar programme, attendees will also have the opportunity to find out more about the latest technologies, equipment, services and solutions on the market from over 80 exhibitors, including:

AmibluAquacast, AquaServe UK, Ashtead Technology, Bucher Municipal, CIRIA, CIWEM, CPD Certification Service, Environment Agency, F M Conway, Innovyze, Mary Donhau Associates, MGF, National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC), National Sewerage Association, Pipeline Industries Guild, Reinert-Ritz, RSP UK, Selwood Ltd, SLD Pumps and Power, SPP Pumps, Sulzer Pumps Wastewater UK Ltd, UKSTT

Click here to visit the Floodex UK website 

Click here to register for your free ticket - online registration

Click here for more information about the conference programme

Click here for the exhibitor list