Commenting on the drought summit on Monday chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers water panel (ICE) Michael Norton said:
“If we are to avoid the spectre of drought becoming an annual event we must urgently change our approach to water management, taking a more strategic overview and focusing on preventative measures for addressing scarcity before it gets to drought stage. Introducing demand management measures, improving interconnectivity between water companies and better and more imaginative methods of storing winter water would be a good start to safe-guarding this precious resource for the future.”
ICE is doing a major report into the water sector in 2012 with the aim of giving Government expert advice and guidance on these types of issues.
More information
ICE’s State of the Nation: Infrastructure report (2010) includes the most recent overview of the water sector and what needs to change http://www.ice.org.uk/getattachment/c198a95f-69bd-4c46-8110-51b057ec20f1/State-of-the-Nation--Infrastructure-2010.aspx
Media contacts
For further information contact:
Emily Beadon, ICE Media Manager, 0207 665 2261, emily.beadon@ice.org.uk
www.ice.org.uk
Notes to editors
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a leading source of professional expertise in transport, water supply and treatment, flood management, waste and energy. Established in 1818, it has over 80,000 members throughout the world including over 60,000 in the UK. ICE’s vision is to place civil engineering the heart of society, delivering sustainable development through knowledge, skills and professional expertise. The ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports.