Stevenage Borough Council Rye Meads Water Cycle Strategy Detailed Study Report
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STEVENAGE BOROUGH COUNCIL RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY DETAILED STUDY REPORT FINAL REPORT Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited 2212959 Aston Cross Business Village 50Rocky Lane Aston Birmingham B6 5RQ United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)870 000 3007 Fax: +44 (0)870 000 3907 www.hyderconsulting.com STEVENAGE BOROUGH COUNCIL RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY DETAILED STUDY REPORT FINAL REPORT James Latham/ Dan Author Vogtlin Checker Renuka Gunasekara Approver Mike Irwin Report No 5003-BM01390-BMR-18-Water Cycle Strategy Final Report Date 5th October 2009 This report has been prepared for STEVENAGE BOROUGH COUNCIL in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for WATER CYCLE STRATEGY dated April 2008. Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited (2212959) cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or reliance on the contents of this report by any third party. RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY—DETAILED STUDY REPORT Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 k:\bm01390- rye meads water cycle study\f-reports\phase 3\5003-bm01390-bmr-18 water cycle strategy final report.doc Revisions Prepared Approved Revision Date Description By By - 2/10/2008 Draft Report Structure JL 1 18/11/2008 First Report Draft JL/DV MI 2 27/01/2009 Draft Report JL/DV MI 3-13 03/04/2009 Final Draft Report as amended by stakeholder comments JL/DV RG 14 09/07/2009 Final Draft Report JL/DV RG 15 10/07/2009 Final Draft Report Redacted JL/DV RG 16 21/08/2009 Final Draft Report JL/DV RG 17 21/09/2009 Final Draft following core project team meeting comments JL/DV RG 18 05/10/2009 Final Report JL/DV MI RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY—DETAILED STUDY REPORT Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd-2212959 k:\bm01390- rye meads water cycle study\f-reports\phase 3\5003-bm01390-bmr-18 water cycle strategy final report.doc CONTENTS 1 Introduction and Summary of Key Outcomes ..................................... 1 1.1 Why is a strategy needed? ................................................................ 1 1.2 Who is it for? ..................................................................................... 2 1.3 Who helped to develop this strategy? ................................................ 2 1.4 What does it comprise? ..................................................................... 3 1.5 How does it work? ............................................................................. 4 1.6 What are the key outcomes? ............................................................. 5 2 The Rye Meads Study Catchment ................................................... 10 2.1 Location .......................................................................................... 10 2.2 Hydrology ....................................................................................... 12 2.3 Hydrogeology.................................................................................. 15 2.4 Surface Water Quality ..................................................................... 19 2.5 Environment and Conservation ........................................................ 27 2.6 Infrastructure .................................................................................. 35 2.7 Key Catchment Constraints ............................................................. 40 3 Planning Policy Context .................................................................. 41 3.1 National Policies ............................................................................. 41 3.2 Regional Policies ............................................................................ 42 3.3 Local Policies .................................................................................. 44 3.4 Development Locations ................................................................... 46 3.5 Catchment Contribution Summary ................................................... 51 4 Development Impact Calculations ................................................... 52 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 52 4.2 Variables ........................................................................................ 52 4.3 Methodology ................................................................................... 53 4.4 Scenarios ....................................................................................... 55 4.5 Development Impact Results ........................................................... 56 5 Catchment Capacity ........................................................................ 59 5.1 The Water Cycle ............................................................................. 59 5.2 Managing Potable Water Demand ................................................... 60 5.3 Water Resources and Distribution Network ...................................... 65 5.4 Sewerage Network and Wastewater Treatment ................................ 70 5.5 Flood Risk ...................................................................................... 76 5.6 Environmental Opportunities............................................................ 80 5.7 Catchment Capacity Summary ........................................................ 81 6 Preliminary Optioneering ................................................................. 83 RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY—DETAILED STUDY REPORT Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 Page i k:\bm01390- rye meads water cycle study\f-reports\phase 3\5003-bm01390-bmr-18 water cycle strategy final report.doc 6.1 Methodology ................................................................................... 83 6.2 Wastewater Treatment Technologies ............................................... 83 6.3 WwTW Location Options ................................................................. 85 6.4 WwTW Options Screening............................................................... 90 6.5 Other Catchment Wide Strategic Opportunities ................................ 91 7 Development of the Preferred Strategy to address Key Strategic Constraints...................................................................................... 93 7.1 Strategy context .............................................................................. 93 7.2 Thames Water Options.................................................................... 95 7.3 Anglian Water Options .................................................................. 101 7.4 Preferred Strategy Conclusion ....................................................... 107 8 Recommended Strategy ................................................................ 111 8.1 Potable Water ............................................................................... 111 8.2 Wastewater Treatment and Sewerage network .............................. 112 8.3 Flood Risk .................................................................................... 121 9 Strategy Guidance ........................................................................ 124 9.1 Local Authorities ........................................................................... 124 9.2 Developer Guidance ..................................................................... 133 9.3 Water Companies ......................................................................... 135 10 Conclusions and Recommendations.............................................. 136 10.1 Conclusions .................................................................................. 136 10.2 Recommendations ........................................................................ 139 Strategy Boxes Box 1: East of England Plan (2008) extract ................................................................................................... 1 Box 2: The context of this WCS ..................................................................................................................... 4 Box 3: Flood Risk Management Strategies .................................................................................................. 13 Box 4: Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme ................................................................................. 13 Box 5: Catchment Flood Management Plan ................................................................................................ 14 Box 6: Strategic Flood Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................... 15 Box 7: Draft Water Resource Management Plan ......................................................................................... 15 Box 8: Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy .................................................................................. 16 Box 9: Groundwater Directive...................................................................................................................... 18 Box 10: Water Framework Directive ............................................................................................................ 22 Box 11: River Basin Management Plans...................................................................................................... 22 Box 12: EU Habitats Directive ..................................................................................................................... 27 Box 13: Local Biodiversity Action Plans ....................................................................................................... 30 RYE MEADS WATER CYCLE STRATEGY—DETAILED STUDY REPORT Page ii Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd-2212959 k:\bm01390- rye meads water cycle study\f-reports\phase