Infrastructure Minister brings forward legislation to improve how we manage our water
Date published:
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has welcomed Executive approval to bring forward updated legislation for water, sustainable drainage and flood management.
The Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill will improve processes for NI Water and allow for new ways to reduce and mitigate flood risk. It will strengthen resilience during extreme weather events such as drought and help facilitate more environmentally friendly solutions to managing water.
Minister Kimmins said:
“In recent years we have seen warmer summers, milder winters and more frequent storms, all of this is a result of climate change. It is important that we have plans in place to better manage those periods of water shortages and high demand for treated water, and to enable improved flood management through sustainable drainage systems.
“This Bill will provide NI Water with a power to implement further hosepipe restrictions to help conserve water in times of high demand or drought. It will also enable my Department to continue the Homeowner Flood Protection Grant Scheme, which will help eligible homeowners to modify their properties to make them more resilient to flooding.
“The Bill will further allow my Department to issue future guidance on the design, maintenance, and adoption of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) – an important first step in moving towards more sustainable practices to help slow the flow of water entering our sewers during times of heavy rainfall and reduce out-of-sewer flooding. This will help to improve the water quality of our rivers and loughs, enhance the performance of our sewerage systems, and provide electricity cost saving opportunities for pumping and treating wastewater.”
The Minister concluded:
“This legislation is a major step forward in helping us meet the challenges in how we manage, use and treat our water resources, future-proof the system, and get on a path to recovery from years of historic underinvestment. It forms an integral part of my three-pronged approach to deliver a better water and wastewater infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population and adapt to changing weather patterns.”
The Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill will be introduced to the Assembly as soon as possible.
Notes to editors:
Principal recommendations:
- Expanded hosepipe ban powers for NI Water beyond watering private gardens and washing private cars;
- Powers for the Department to issue future guidance on the design, approval, and maintenance of SuDS to encourage their use as the preferred means of dealing with surface water;
- Powers for NI Water to adopt private drainage infrastructure (PDI) constructed prior to 1st October 1973;
- Powers for NI Water to enter private premises to repair drainage misconnections and recover the costs from the landowner, in instances where the landowner refuses entry and also refuses to fix the misconnection themselves;
- Powers for NI Water to register Article 161 Agreements on the Statutory Charges Register;
- Powers for the Department to introduce flood protection grants similar to the those available under the current Homeowner Flood Protection Grant Scheme (HFPGS);
- Powers for the Department to make certain regulations on Flood Management and Environmental Impact Assessments for drainage purposes.
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