How can strategic water resource options deliver best value for all?

Jon Darwent, Principal Consultant at Stantec argues that for strategic resource options (SROs) to contribute to best value regional plans, they need to be developed with a focus on the objectives and criteria by which plans will be judged, avoid uneconomic investments, operational inefficiencies and enhance resilience.

The impetus behind the current programme of water resources planning and the rationale for the new regional groups is explained. Jon then describes the challenges of designing schemes for infrequent extreme droughts, citing how local raw water storage can flatten peak events, thereby reducing upstream capacity requirements. Bringing all the data on needs and solutions together in a best value plan calls for new thinking on how schemes are designed, and how their costs and benefits are articulated and assessed. 

Article originally published in Waterbriefing.