Water Strategy for Wales - Supporting the sustainable management of our natural resources.

The Water Strategy for Wales - Supporting the sustainable management of our natural resources (2015) sets out how the Welsh government will work with other stakeholders to make the best use of national water resources. Section 2 outlines the wider Welsh Government policy and explains the priorities and principles applied in delivering the Strategy. Section 3 analyses the challenges to deliver sustainable integrated water management. Section 4 identifies the 6 key themes which form the chapters of the Strategy. These are: 1) Water for nature, people and business. 2) Improving the way we plan and manage our water services. 3) Delivering excellent services to customers. 4) Protecting and improving drinking water quality. 5) 21st century sewerage and drainage systems. 6) Supporting delivery. An action plan is at Annex A which highlights timeframe for delivering the actions identified in the Strategy. A glossary is at Annex B. A map showing water company boundaries in Wales is at Annex C.
Under 1) Water for nature, people and business the Strategy identify as challenges extreme weather, climate change, loss of natural habitats, and changes in land management practices. The Principal Actions that will be implemented encompass: periodically review the implementation of domestic and international legislation; broadening community involvement in the development of water policy at a more local catchment level; reforming the abstraction licensing system; bring exempt abstractions into the licensing system; review the effectiveness of pollution prevention mechanisms; work with landowners to develop a common understanding of diffuse pollution and how they can help to prevent it through improved land management; encourage catchment scale community action to improve water quality; Regulations to reduce oil pollution in Wales; development of PES schemes and review legislation if this is required to enable the long term establishment of PES market; work with the relevant sectors to address diffuse water pollution through understanding, reviewing and where appropriate, changing current practices and regulatory approaches. Under 2) Improving the way we plan and manage our water services the government, in order to reduce the burden of planning on water companies, the commits to: review existing legislative, regulatory and planning processes associated with water services management; work with water companies, regulators and local authorities to introduce planning for waste water and sewerage management. And requires companies to maintain leakage at the point where the environment, economic and social cost of reducing leakage is less or equal to the cost of getting water from other sources. To deliver an excellent customer service (section 3) the government commits to: support families living in poverty to increase household income; research and a programme of work to address water poverty, review water tariffs system to support vulnerable customers. To protect and improve drinking water quality (4) the government will work to keep the relevant drinking water quality legislation under review and amend it; will develop guidance and an engagement strategy to understanding of public health and water quality issues in Wales, etc.
Section 5) 21st century drainage and sewerage systems, actions include: establish a framework to identify any evidence, data or regulatory gaps; facilitate implementation of Flood and Water Management Act 2010; provide guidance on septic tank maintenance; revised guidance for sewerage schemes for rural communities, etc. 6) Supporting delivery entails actions such as: working closely with the UK Government, regulators and water companies, undertake a detailed assessment of the issues that will need to be addressed; review and report on progress, etc.