Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study Scoping Report June 2013 Prepared for: Liverpool City Council & Wirral Council UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 01 Sept-11 Draft Elizabeth Young Andrew Woodliffe Senior Consultant Principal Consultant Anita Longworth Principal Consultant Alpha Robinson Principal Consultant 02 Dec-11 Final Draft Alpha Robinson Alpha Robinson Principal Consultant Principal Consultant 03 Jan-13 Final Issue Richard James Elizabeth Young Michael Timmins Graduate Consultant Senior Consultant Associate Director 04 Feb-13 Final Issue with minor Richard James Elizabeth Young Michael Timmins amendments Graduate Consultant Senior Consultant Associate Director 05 Mar-13 Final Issue with minor Richard James Elizabeth Young Michael Timmins amendments Graduate Consultant Senior Consultant Associate Director 06 Jun-13 Final Issue following UU Francesca Dee Elizabeth Young Michael Timmins response Graduate Consultant Senior Consultant Associate Director URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Ltd Brunel House 54 Princess Street Manchester M1 6HS Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study Limitations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the use of Wirral Council and Liverpool City Council (“Client”) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by URS has not been independently verified by URS, unless otherwise stated in the Report. The methodology adopted and the sources of information used by URS in providing its services are outlined in this Report. The work described in this Report was undertaken between January 2011 and June 2013 and is based on the conditions encountered and the information available during the said period of time. The scope of this Report and the services are accordingly factually limited by these circumstances. Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available. URS disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to URS’s attention after the date of the Report. Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forward- looking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. URS specifically does not guarantee or warrant any estimate or projections contained in this Report. Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study Table of Contents 1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Aims and Objectives ....................................................................................................... 8 2 Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Scoping Water Cycle Study ........................................................... 9 2.1 The Water Cycle ............................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Implications for Development ....................................................................................... 10 2.3 Stages of a Water Cycle Study ..................................................................................... 10 2.4 Integration with the Planning System ........................................................................... 13 2.5 Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 13 3 Water Cycle Environment and Infrastructure Baseline .............. 14 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 14 3.2 Water Resources and Supply ....................................................................................... 14 3.3 Water Quality ............................................................................................................... 20 3.4 Ecology and Biodiversity .............................................................................................. 23 3.5 Wastewater Treatment and Collection .......................................................................... 26 3.6 Flood Risk .................................................................................................................... 27 4 Preliminary Findings, Constraints and Outline Study Scope .... 29 4.1 Water Resources and Supply ....................................................................................... 29 4.2 Wastewater Treatment and Collection .......................................................................... 32 4.3 Flood Risk and Surface Water Management ................................................................ 33 4.4 Water Quality ............................................................................................................... 34 4.5 Ecology and Biodiversity .............................................................................................. 36 5 Progression of WCS ..................................................................... 39 5.1 Outline WCS ................................................................................................................ 39 5.2 Project Group/Stakeholder ........................................................................................... 39 SCOPING STUDY: FINAL REPORT June 2013 i Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study Figures Figure 1-1: Wirral Council Boundary, Settlement Areas, SHLAA and Employment Sites ................................ 4 Figure 1-2: Liverpool City Council Boundary, SHLAA and Employment Sites .................................................. 5 Figure 1-3: Wirral Growth Point Locations ......................................................................................................... 6 Figure 1-4: Liverpool Growth Point Locations ................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2-1: Water Cycle Study (Source: Environment Agency) ........................................................................ 9 Figure 2-2: Stages of the Water Cycle Study Process (Source: Environment Agency ) ................................. 11 Figure 3-1: Designated Sites near Wirral and Liverpool with WwTW Locations ............................................. 25 Figure 4-1: Map of United Utilities Water Supply Area ................................................................................... 30 Tables Table 3-1: Statutory Main Rivers .................................................................................................................... 17 Table 3-2: Water Quality Status and Objectives of Tributaries to the River Mersey ...................................... 21 Table 3-3: WwTWs likely to be Impacted by Proposed Growth in Wirral ........................................................ 26 Table 3-4: WwTWs likely to be impacted by Proposed Growth in Liverpool ................................................... 27 Table 4-1: Water Dependent European Conservation Sites with Potential to be Impacted by the Proposed Growth ............................................................................................................................................................. 37 SCOPING STUDY: FINAL REPORT June 2013 ii Wirral, Liverpool and Mersey Heartlands Growth Point Water Cycle Study Acronyms & Abbreviations Abbreviation Description AMP Asset Management Plan BGS British Geological Society BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand CAMS Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy CBA Cost Benefit Analysis CFMP Catchment Flood Management Plan CSH Code for Sustainable Homes CLG Communities and Local Government CSO Combined Sewer Overflow DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DO Dissolved Oxygen DWF Dry Weather Flow DWI Drinking Water Inspectorate EQS Environmental Quality Standard FEH Flood Estimation Handbook FFT Flow to Full Treatment GQA General Quality Assessment GWMU Groundwater Management Unit HA Highways Agency HMWB Heavily Modified Water Body (under the Water Framework Directive) l/h/d Litres/head/day (a water consumption measurement) LCC Liverpool City Council LDDs Local Development Documents LP Local Plan LPA Local Planning Authority Ml Mega Litre (a million litres) NE Natural England NPPF National Planning Policy Framework NWA No Water Available (in relation to CAMS)