With increased risk of flooding across the UK this winter coinciding with major housebuilding projects in order to meet the Government’s target of building 200,000 homes, a new awareness-raising initiative will bring the industry together to look at how it can best prepare for the next flood and where the responsibilities should lie.
The UK floods of 2014 caused widespread damage and were estimated to cost over £1bn in clean-up costs, with insurers paying out over £4bn over the past 10 years in flood claims. By contrast, the South East of the UK is one of Europe’s driest regions with droughts in recent years leading to water companies being put under pressure to address leaks.
Never has there been a more pertinent time to highlight the challenges posed by the UK’s water extremes and address the issues we face in particular the continued risk of flooding. Water Matters UK will do just that.
Water Matters UK
As a leading global provider of solutions for the water sector, Wavin is helping to raise awareness of these issues through the launch of Water Matters UK, a programme of engaging events to stimulate debate and discussion and identify realistic and practical solutions to a national problem.
Water Matters UK is a unique opportunity for professionals from across the industry - including contractors, consultants and engineers - to debate issues face to face with clients such as water companies, as well as Government bodies and trade associations. The events will cover both above and below ground challenges and debate how holistic approaches which encompass sustainability health & safety and engineering best practice will provide opportunities for success in managing water in the future. Putting water at the top of the agenda as an issue which affects everyone, Water Matters UK will provide an invaluable forum for all stakeholders across the industry.
The Big Debate – 28 October 2015
The first Water Matters UK event addresses below ground challenges around flooding issues. Provocatively titled ‘The Next Big Flood: Why The UK Won’t Be Ready,’ The Big Debate will be chaired by no-nonsense broadcaster Janet Street-Porter and takes place on the evening of 28th October at London’s 240 Blackfriars, the headquarters of media and events company UBM.
Janet will be joined by Sue Illman, Construction Industry Council Champion for Flood Mitigation and Resilience Peter Caplehorn, Architect and Policy Director of the Construction Products Association and Will McBain, Associate Director of Arup. Giving some crucial insights into current flood readiness and the policy context will be the Environment Agency’s Director of Strategy and Investment, Alison Baptiste.
Mike Shaw, Head of Marketing at Wavin comments: “The UK continues to confront serious issues when you look at the requirement to build hundreds of thousands of new homes over the coming years set against the need to avoid the catastrophic damage the 2013/14 floods inflicted on the country. Water Matters UK is a collaborative approach to addressing these problems in a way that the industry can support with a series of high-level discussions over the coming weeks. This is, however, just one of the crucial water management topics that Water Matters UK will be addressing within this important campaign supporting the future-proofing of UK homes and infrastructure.”
Water Matters UK sees Wavin leading the way in tackling the difficult questions around the UK’s water issues and provides a timely platform for the industry to tell clients and the Government what it requires to achieve resilience for the future.
