Revised Draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024
Our revised draft Water Resources Management Plan (rdWRMP) defines our strategy to achieve a long-term, best value and sustainable plan for water supplies in the North West. Our rdWRMP24 plans for an adequate supply to meet demand from 2025 to 2085, and a supply system that is resilient to drought.
Water Resource Management Plans are updated every five years. We published our draft Water Resources Management Plan for consultation in December 2022. This consultation was open for 14 weeks and closed on the 15th March 2023.
You can read a copy of our revised draft Water Resources Management Plan below.
Following consultation we have taken account of the feedback we have received and published our Statement of Response. We subsequently received a request for further information from Defra which we have addressed in our "Further information in support of Statement of Response (WRMP24)" document.
Some information has been excluded from the Water Resources Management Plan, such as details of the connectivity of our system, or specificities around abstraction, on the grounds that it would be contrary to the interests of national security. Some commercially sensitive information has also been excluded.
With increasing pressure on precious water resources across the UK, United Utilities’ revised draft WRMP complements the Water Resources West Emerging Plan; the higher level plan for water resources in our area, and the wider national framework. The aim of this joined-up approach is to make sure that all water companies are delivering best value and making the most of water sources, including through transfer schemes between regions where appropriate. To find out more and respond to the consultation on the Regional Plan online, visit: https://waterresourceswest.co.uk/publications.
A potential solution to these challenges is water transfers between different areas of the country through projects known as Strategic Resource Options (SRO). As part of the 2019 price review, Ofwat has worked with water companies to develop this SRO Programme. United Utilities has been part of that programme, working closely with our regulators to ensure a truly collaborative approach in the development of the national water resource solutions. To find out more about water transfers, please click here.