Commenting on the drought summit, the Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Water Panel 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 preparing a major report into the water sector in 2012 with the aim of giving Government expert advice and guidance on these types of issues.
ICE’s State of the Nation: Infrastructure report (2010) includes the most recent overview of the water sector and what needs to change.
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For further information contact: Emily Beadon, ICE Media Manager, 0207 665 2261, emily.beadon@ice.org.uk