Drought and climate change-related water issues are taking hold of our towns and cities.
It is important that the built environment, designers, water management companies, utility providers, and public bodies work together to proactively implement more measures that can combat the impacts of extreme weather patterns, to help prevent lasting damage and avoid devastation.
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When it comes to threats to our infrastructure, drought and flash flooding pose big risks. However, they can both be mitigated through innovative, integrated infrastructure, and more comprehensive water management solutions. The droughts we’re seeing across Europe now are indicative of a failure in proper water management.
The UK is not particularly better or worse when compared to other countries in Europe – it is an issue that faces the continent as a whole. The European Commission Joint Research Centre published some research that showed more than 50% EU+UK had some kind of drought warning/alert. The Dutch government has recently declared a water shortage. Meanwhile, northern Italy and the western Mediterranean were suffering droughts in February and March.
Outdated infrastructure
It is habitual to see 50% water loss through leaks in outdated distribution systems in urban areas. We must change the way we use water as part of broader climate adaptation efforts. It’s not just about using less water, discharging more water faster, or building bigger reservoirs. It’s about using water at the right time and in the right place.
Much of our infrastructure dates back to the extensive urbanisation undertaken during the Victorian period. As with all development, the infrastructure was built for the requirements of the time, and not for 50, 100, 150 years into the future.
In many instances, the current infrastructure cannot cope with the demand being placed on it. The climate is changing as we get more rain delivered in shorter harder bursts, urban creep continues, and homeowners continue to build patios and driveways. This all pushes more water into a drainage system that simply cannot cope. The Pitt Review (which led to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010) identified this as a major cause of flooding.
In modern design SuDS has become common, and this has changed the way we manage surface water into greener and more ‘natural’ solutions.
Mindset change essential
The issue still remains, however, that water is largely seen as a problem for which the solution is to move it somewhere else. We need a mindset change to make water be seen as a valuable asset that should be treasured. If every raindrop was a penny, we wouldn’t treat it like we do now.
We must reuse it where there is too little, filter it where it is too polluted, and return it to the ground when groundwater supplies are depleted. This would close the water loop and stop shifting the problem from one upstream end to the other downstream end. A circular mentality must underpin every urban design step we take. We must make every drop count.
We must connect systems often viewed as independent – like wastewater, rainwater, and tap water systems – to create circular and controlled water cycles around buildings, neighbourhoods, and even cities. Then, we should apply this concept of connection to different disciplines, partners, technologies, designs, and solutions to collectively achieve the most adaptive and inclusive infrastructure.
Change can start with the small things, water butts etc, and on a policy level making rainwater harvesting/water reuse part of the planning requirements on all new builds.
Mike Ward is territory director at Wavin UK & Ireland
