A water cycle study will examine tensions between growth proposals and environmental requirements, and identify potential solutions to addressing them. Effective planning and close cooperation between all parties involved is essential to the success of a water cycle strategy. LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK OUTLINE WATER CYCLE STUDY Technical Report Drawings & Appendices 2nd Edition – Final Report Issued REPORT QUALITY CONTROL Report 1110-TR1-C – Herefordshire Outline Water Cycle Study This document has been prepared by Brian Faulkner - Independent Consultant, for Herefordshire Council. Technical analysis, where appropriate, has been undertaken utilising industry standard software and the highest professional standards. Copyright of this information is hereby vested only in the client and its Agents. No responsibility is accepted for liabilities arising to any third party from the unapproved use of this material. Prepared by: ....................................................... Brian Faulkner Analyst Checked by: ........................................................ Brian Faulkner MSc FCIWEM FConsE Supervising Consultant Approved by: ........................................................ Brian Faulkner MSc FCIWEM FConsE Principal Date : 22 September 2009 CONTACT DETAILS E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 1392 666 953 Mobile: +44 (0) 7967 399 874 Website: www.waterconsultant.com REVISION HISTORY Issue Details Media Date Circulation List DRAFT DRAFT 2 copies issued to Herefordshire Council H/c+PDF 06-07-9 KS; JW; GD; MD; MJ; FINAL FINAL – consultation responses from DCWW, H/c+PDF 24-09-9 KS; GD; MD EA, Natural England, CCW all incorporated. to: Additional sections on Water Efficient Buildings, HC Diffuse Agricultural Pollution and Catchment EA Sensitive Farming Initiative added. Appendices DCWW on general infrastructure constraints from DCWW added. In the interests of sustainability, this document is generally only available in electronic format. Please do not print it unless it is essential. It is fully hyper-linked in Adobe Reader, and is much more navigable in this form. Use the ‘Bookmarks’ Tab in the reader to have full functionality. Cover Photograph – © Courtesy of B Faulkner Outline Water Cycle Study TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK....................................................................1-1 1.1 Water Cycle Studies 1-1 1.1.1 Planning for Water 1-1 1.1.2 Sustainable Development 1-1 1.1.3 Overview of the Water Cycle Process 1-2 1.1.4 Key Deliverables of a Water Cycle Study 1-3 1.2 West Midlands Growth Point Status 1-4 1.3 Local Development Framework 1-5 1.4 Future Water – The Government Water Strategy 1-6 1.5 Water Resources Strategy for Wales 1-7 1.6 The Water Framework Directive 1-7 1.6.1 Process and Objectives 1-7 1.6.2 The Severn Trent River Basin Management Plan 1-8 1.7 Habitats Directive (SACs) 1-10 1.7.1 Introduction 1-10 1.7.2 Review of Consents 1-11 1.7.3 Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme 1-12 1.8 Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) 1-13 1.8.1 Licence Determination and CAMS 1-13 1.8.2 RAM Framework and River Flow Objectives 1-13 1.8.3 Resource Availability Status 1-15 1.8.4 Hands off Flows (HoF) 1-16 1.9 Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 1-16 1.9.1 Introduction 1-16 1.9.2 Sensitive Areas and Levels of Treatment 1-17 1.10 The Water Act 2003 1-19 1.11 Draft Flood and Water Management Bill 2009 1-20 1.11.1 Government Future Vision for Surface Water 1-20 1.11.2 Sustainable Drainage and Surface Water Management Plans 1-20 1.11.3 Managing Flood Risk 1-21 1.11.4 The role of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) 1-21 1.12 The Structure and Use of this Outline Water Cycle Study 1-21 1.12.1 Scope and Structure 1-21 1.12.2 The Supportive Text Evidence Base 1-23 1.12.3 The Geographic Information System Evidence Base 1-24 i Local Development Framework Supporting Documentation Outline Water Cycle Study 2. THE ENVIRONMENT BASELINE ........................................................................2-1 2.1 Environmental Objectives Overview 2-1 2.2 Ecological Status of Waterbodies 2-2 2.2.1 Ecological Status – Surface Water 2-2 2.2.2 Chemical Status 2-4 2.2.3 Chemical Status - Groundwater 2-5 2.2.4 Specific Pressures Identified within Severn RBD 2-5 2.2.5 Specific Objectives of the Severn RBMP 2-6 2.2.6 Ecological Status of Herefordshire Surface Waterbodies 2-7 2.3 Habitats Sites of Community Importance 2-12 2.3.1 River Wye SSSI 2-12 2.3.2 Habitats Regulations Classified Sites 2-13 2.3.3 River Wye Special Area of Conservation RoC Process 2-14 2.3.4 Finalised ‘Adverse Effect’ Sites – Water Quality 2-15 2.3.5 Finalised ‘Adverse Effect’ Sites – Water Resources 2-15 2.3.6 Environmental Outcomes of Stage 4 Action Plan 2-16 2.4 Water Resources and Availability 2-17 2.4.1 Water Resource Management Units in Herefordshire 2-17 2.4.2 Determination of Resource Status – River Wye 2-18 2.4.3 Determination of Resource Status – River Teme 2-18 2.5 Urban Wastewater Sensitive Areas 2-19 2.5.1 Identified Eutrophic Waters in Herefordshire 2-19 2.6 Catchment Scale Flood Risk 2-20 2.7 Climate Change 2-21 2.7.1 UK Climate Impacts Programme – UKCIP 2-21 2.7.2 UKCIP02 2-21 2.7.3 UKCP09 2-22 2.7.4 Climate Change in West Midlands 2-23 2.7.5 Climate Change and River Flows in the 2050s 2-26 2.7.6 Climate change and River Wye in 2050s 2-27 2.7.7 Climate Change and Flood risk 2-30 2.8 Summary of Main Issues 2-31 2.8.1 Ecological Status of Waterbodies 2-31 2.8.2 Habitats Regulations Review of Consents 2-31 2.8.3 Water Resources 2-31 2.8.4 Sensitive Receiving Waters 2-32 2.8.5 Catchment Flood Risk 2-32 2.8.6 Climate change 2-33 2.9 Issues for Action - The Environment Baseline 2-34 3. HOUSING PRESSURES ......................................................................................3-1 3.1 Regional Spatial Strategy 3-1 3.2 Core Strategy – Developing Options 3-1 3.2.1 Option A - Focus on Economy 3-1 3.2.2 Option B – Focus on Society 3-2 ii Local Development Framework Supporting Documentation Outline Water Cycle Study 3.2.3 Option C – Focus on Environment 3-3 3.2.4 Option D – Focus on a New or Expanded Settlement 3-5 3.3 Growth Point Population and Housing 3-5 3.3.1 Herefordshire Potential Development Sites Database 3-5 3.3.2 Herefordshire Council Baseline Housing Figures 3-6 3.3.3 Reconciliation with DCWW Housing Figures 3-8 3.3.4 Population Density by Parish 3-10 3.4 Emerging Spatial Strategy 3-10 3.5 Summary of Main Issues 3-11 3.5.1 Emerging Spatial Strategy 3-11 3.5.2 Population and Housing Figures 3-11 3.6 Issues for Action - Housing Pressures 3-15 4. WATER RESOURCES AND WATER ABSTRACTION .......................................4-1 4.1 Water Availability in Herefordshire 4-1 4.1.1 Water Resources in the Wye Catchment 4-1 4.1.2 CAMS Assessment Points 4-2 4.1.3 Water Availability Status within Herefordshire WRMUs 4-3 4.2 Summary Licensing Disposition 4-4 4.2.1 Surface Water by Sector 4-5 4.2.2 Groundwater by Sector 4-6 4.3 Public Water Supply 4-9 4.3.1 Dwr Cymru Water Resource Zones 4-9 4.3.2 DCWW Licensed Abstractions 4-11 4.3.3 Dŵr Cymru Water Resources Assessment Requirements 4-11 4.3.4 Dŵr-Cymru-Welsh Water Level of Service 4-12 4.3.5 Supply-Demand Planning Scenarios 4-12 4.3.6 Potable Water Abstraction Key Statistics 4-14 4.3.7 DCWW Climate Change Assumptions 4-15 4.3.8 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8101 Ross 4-17 4.3.9 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8103 Hereford CU 4-18 4.3.10 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8105 Llyswen 4-19 4.3.11 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8107 Pilleth 4-19 4.3.12 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8110 Vowchurch 4-20 4.3.13 Water Resources Summary – Zone 8111 Whitbourne 4-21 4.4 RoC Stage 4 Action Plan 4-25 4.4.1 Water Resources Impacts and Actions 4-25 4.5 Water Rights Trading 4-26 4.6 Summary of Main Issues 4-27 4.6.1 Current Raw Water Availability 4-27 4.6.2 Water Resources Strategy for Wales and the Twin-track approach 4-28 4.6.3 Habitats RoC Sustainability Reductions 4-28 4.6.4 Climate Change Factors 4-29 4.6.5 Housing Forecasts and Increased Demand 4-30 4.7 Issues for Action – Water Resources and Water Abstraction 4-32 iii Local Development Framework Supporting Documentation Outline Water Cycle Study 5. WATER SUPPLY, DEMAND AND CONSUMPTION ...........................................5-1 5.1 Public Water Supply – Infrastructure Constraints 5-1 5.2 Public Water Supply - Current Consumption 5-2 5.2.1 Per Capita Consumption – Herefordshire 5-2 5.2.2 DCWW Leakage Policy and ELL 5-3 5.2.3 DCWW Leakage Analysis 2006 – 2035 5-4 5.3 Public Water Supply - Future Consumption 5-4 5.3.1 DCWW and Future Water Consumption 5-4 5.3.2 WAG Policy Statement – Planning for Sustainable Buildings 5-5 5.3.3 Metering 5-6 5.3.4 DEFRA and ‘Future Water’ Targets 5-6 5.3.5 Environment Agency Targets 5-7 5.3.6 The role of OFWAT 5-8 5.4 Industrial and Business Water Supply – Current Consumption 5-9 5.5 DCWW Water Efficiency Initiatives 5-10 5.5.1 Web Resources 5-10 5.6 Demand Scenario and Neutrality Modelling 5-12 5.7 Code for Sustainable Homes 5-14 5.7.1 Introduction 5-14 5.7.2 Mandatory Ratings 5-14 5.8 Water Efficient Buildings 5-15 5.8.1 Regulatory Framework 5-15 5.8.2 Support for Planners 5-16 5.9 Rainwater Harvesting 5-17 5.9.1 Concepts 5-17 5.9.2 Implementation Issues 5-18 5.9.3 Case Study – David Wilson Homes ‘Greenfields’ 5-19 5.10 Agricultural Water Supply – Current Consumption 5-21 5.10.1 Largest Abstractors by Licence 5-21 5.10.2 Demands from Trickle Irrigation – Wye catchment 5-22 5.10.3 Demands from Trickle Irrigation – Teme catchment 5-23 5.11 Agricultural