Plan for Water: our integrated plan for delivering clean and plentiful water.

The Plan for Water: our integrated plan for delivering clean and plentiful water (2023) sets out measures to transform and integrate water system, address sources of pollution and boost water supplies through more investment, tighter regulation, and more effective enforcement with the overall goal to deliver clean and plentiful water – a healthy water environment, and a sustainable supply of water for people, businesses, and nature.
Under Chapter 1, transform management of the whole water system, the Plan identifies as best way to manage supply and pollution pressures is by taking an integrated approach across a whole catchment. Key actions include: delivering catchment action plans backed up with new funding to improve all water bodies in England; more funding for catchment groups and catchment-scale partnerships that coordinate action and investment where rivers need it most. Under Chapter 2, Deliver a clean water environment for nature and people, the Plan identifies actions to address the multiple sources of pollution impacting water bodies, such as pollution from farming, wastewater, rainwater and abandoned metal mines. Key actions include: a new Water Restoration Fund to channel environmental fines and penalties into projects that improve the water environment; reducing the number of spills from storm overflows, nutrient pollution, and increasing water supply; designing agricultural schemes so that farmland alongside rivers creates space for nature; rolling out standardized sustainable drainage systems in new developments subject. Chapter 3, secure plentiful supply of water, contains provisions that further accelerate the delivery of new water supply sources, including from reservoirs, water recycling, and transfers, also reduce drought impacts on water-reliant businesses and help farmers access the supplies they need. Key actions include: speeding up the delivery of water resources infrastructure and ensuring new projects like reservoirs deliver a net gain for biodiversity; supporting farmers to store more water on their land; setting ambitious targets for water companies to crack down on leakage, facing financial penalties if they don’t meet them; improving water efficiency in homes.