Lord Chris Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency says that the UK now faces difficult choices on flood defence investment.
Early statistics published by the Met Office for January 2014 show that the southeast and central southern England region has already had its wettest January in records going back to 1910, with three days still to go.
National Grid’s latest Interim Management Statement published today says that its recent investment in flood defences in the UK has minimised the impact of recent bad weather - once again highlighting the need for the UK to protect its critical national infrastructure.
Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons yesterday that the Environment Agency will begin dredging the rivers in the Somerset Levels which continues to be badly affected by flooding "as soon as it is practical."
The Environment Agency is taking further steps to defend its response to flooding in the Somerset Levels – including an appearance by Agency Chairman Lord Chris Smith on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme this morning.
The largest pumping operation ever undertaken in Somerset is continuing as the Somerset Levels experience the highest level of flooding for almost two decades.
Somerset County Council has this afternoon called a major incident for the whole of Somerset in the light of ongoing flood risk for the region.
Thames Water is warning that rising groundwater continues to present a risk of flooding in hotspots across the Thames Valley.
The RSPB and the Somerset Wildlife Trust are calling on MPs and others to press government and its agencies to develop a water management strategy for a more flood-resilient future on the Somerset Levels that benefits both people and wildlife. However, the charities have also expressed concern over calls for dredging to address the issue.
Welsh Government Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun Davies has announced an additional £2m to fund emergency repairs to flood defences that were damaged in the recent storms.
Near-real-time microbial monitoring of wastewater discharge and bathing waters is now possible thanks to the BactoSense ID solution created by Swiss-based bNovate Technologies.
ABB has launched AquaMaster+™, a digital platform for smart water network management, designed to help water utilities monitor, analyze and manage their water networks, preventing pipeline water losses and optimizing operations.
Craig Nienaber, Business Development Manager for Safe Access Solutions (SAS) at HUBER Technology, explores why the company is seeing a growing level of interest in its safe access solutions for critical infrastructure providers, including their application in wastewater treatment assets.
Albion Water, the first NAV (New Appointment & Variation) to have been established in1999 and now under the ownership of SDS Water Group, has appointed Andy Holland as its new Director of Business Development.