Call for urgent wetland reforms

Rapid action is needed from government to make treatment wetlands the default solution across the UK for meeting nutrient neutrality targets, an environmental group has demanded.

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) has called for funding to be established and policy to support the creation of a wetland pilot to be established by 2025 to drive the wide spread establishment of treatment wetlands.

It called out current targets for not incentivising the use of nature-based solutions to tackle nutrients. Water companies have spoken out against the prescriptive approach to nutrients, which does not leave space for pioneering green infrastructure.

WWT described government’s storm overflow discharge reduction plan as “an opportunity to improve on the weak legislation” in this area but said it fell short. A new report by the group says the Plan should be updated to tackle pollution from overflows using wetlands and sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS).

The series of recommendations emphasised the need to act quickly, with near-term deadlines for action.

Despite the inclusion of nature-based solutions in guidance from Ofwat and the Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) in guidance for the next price review (PR24), one regulatory director indicated to Utility Week the anticipated uptake of such schemes was unlikely to be above 5% in PR24 plans.

WWT’s report urges government to develop comprehensive guidance for building and maintaining treatment wetlands that meet national standards for best practice.

It says existing wetlands information is “out of date and limited” and new guidance must be developed in line with the pilot scheme establishment.

The group’s report adds that an effective pilot would cost more than the £30 million currently available through the Big Nature Impact Fund established last year.

The UK lost 75% of its wetlands over the past 300 years, with them disappearing at three times the rate of forests.

Water companies have worked to include treatment wetlands, but plans face resistance as a less reliably proven solution for treatment. As well as regulatory hurdles due to meeting prescribed levels of substances, the industry and its supply chain is geared up to delivering traditional engineered solutions.

WWT said water customers should not foot the bill for the costs of wetlands, but instead suggested water companies “finance their own improvements by reducing share dividends on annual profits”.

Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) companies are investing £5 billion in the environment during this asset management period (AMP7) and several multiples of that amount are being forecast to be required for AMP8.

“Wetlands do much for us and for nature – they support a broad range of species, can mitigate the impact of flooding and help to tackle climate change,” A Defra spokesperson said. “Our Environmental Improvement Plan sets out clear steps to protect and restore wetlands, including the commitment to establish a UK Wetland Inventory. This will map our wetlands for the first time providing information and support for future actions to protect these vital habitats.”

Treatment wetlands can improve water quality at catchment level as well as boosting biodiversity.

These sites are engineered specifically to clean polluted water by optimising the natural biological, chemical and physical treatment processes wetlands offer that can remove pollutants.

They have been identified as a more cost effective way to deal with excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen as well as pollutants including heavy metals, chemicals and sediment.

Yorkshire Water has a pioneering wastewater treatment works at Clifton, which the company built at 35% lower costs than a traditional grey asset and its operational costs are 40% lower.