UKIA Annual Spring Conference

March 6, 2023

Last week, Tamsin Morey and Harriet Robson, both Water Resources Specialists, travelled to Peterborough to attend the UKIA Annual Spring Conference. Off the back of 6 weeks of drier weather, and the Environment Agency forecasting moderate to poor irrigation prospects in East Anglia, it was the perfect time to ask the question “are you ready for the next drought?”. 


The programme was kicked off by Kelly Hewson-Fisher, National Water Resources Specialist at the NFU, who highlighted the importance of water to the UK’s food production and economic growth, and the challenges that the agri-food industry is facing from climate change, regulatory pressures, and population growth. Kelly talked about the Water for Food Group and its Task & Finish Group, which we at Envireau Water are a key part of, that is working to produce a framework for irrigators to effectively plan for drought and invest in water resources resilience.


Andrew Williams, a farmer from Suffolk and a member of ESWAG, then described the impacts that the 2022 drought had on his business and its irrigation requirements. Richard Davis, Senior Hydrology Advisor at the Environment Agency, reflected on the data recorded during the summer 2022 drought and the following winter, and informed us of the water resources outlook and irrigation prospects for summer 2023. Water resources will be challenged again this summer in some parts of the country, and irrigators must take action to safeguard their supplies.


Following the morning coffee break we were joined by Adriano Battilani, a senior researcher looking at agricultural water management in Italy. He described the increasing occurrence of drought in Europe and the challenges it is creating, such as soil erosion and saline intrusion in deltas. Innovation is required, and he made some interesting suggestions, such as digital twins and solar panels on watercourses. Ian Holman, professor of Integrated Land and Water Management at Cranfield University, then took us through some projects that they have been working on, including water sharing in the River Lark catchment, and the D-Risk tool and its new feature to model rainwater harvesting potential.


After lunch, we watched a video presentation from Liz Bentley of the Royal Meteorological Society, who described the changes in UK rainfall patterns over recent years. We learned that the atmosphere can hold 7% more water per 1 degree of warming, which in turn is causing more extreme rainfall events. Giles Bloomfield of the Water Management Alliance then introduced us to projects that the Internal Drainage Boards (IBD) are working on to make more drainage water available for irrigation and mitigate saline intrusion and land erosion. This includes the Felixstowe Hydrocycle, which is an industry-leading scheme that is distributing water to farmers that would previously have been pumped out to sea in large volumes by IDBs. Andrew Hawes, farm reservoir consultant, closed the programme with a humorous talk about how to successfully site your reservoir and get value from the planning process.


Tamsin commented;


The conference was a sell-out event with an air of enthusiasm and engagement from participants. It was a great opportunity to speak with clients and friends, old and new, about drought readiness. In preparing for summer 2023, its crucial that irrigators take action to safeguard their supplies. Longer-term, the Water for Food Group and Task & Finish Group are making key steps to support irrigators and invest in water resources resilience. We understand the problems facing abstractors and are working steadily to provide action.


In the meantime, if you need Tamsin’s or Harriet’s support, contact Envireau Water on 01332 871 882


Share

By Rachael Plant June 5, 2025
Across the globe, plastic pollution is becoming an increasingly crucial topic, with an estimated 400 million tonnes being produced every year world wide. While the focus is often on visible plastic (including bottles, bags, and packaging), a growing body of research is turning its attention to the invisible threat of microplastics and emerging contaminants, which are increasingly finding their way into water sources, food chains and even the air we breathe.  What are microplastics? Microplastics are a growing threat to the health of our planet. Despite being barely visible, these tiny plastic particles account for roughly 8% of global plastic waste, a number that is set to increase in the coming years.
By Rachael Plant May 28, 2025
We officially unveiled our newest office location in April last year! Known as a hub of Hydrogeology, our Shrewsbury office sits in the heart of the town and is a testament to our growth and a strategic move to better serve our clients in the West Midlands and Wales. We're excited to introduce you to our skilled experts! Tamsin Morey: Having joined in 2003, Principal Water Resources Specialist Tamsin has over 20 years consulting experience, with her role focusing primarily on water resource management and high level regulator negotiation. Tamsin manages projects primarily within the agricultural and food & drink industries, with expertise ranging from catchment-scale water resource assessments to the delivery of detailed site-specific solutions to solve specific client issues.
By Rachael Plant May 21, 2025
Welcome to our Melbourne office in Derbyshire! Connecting you to both Derby and Leicester, this charming market town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and a multitude of boutique shops and delicious bakeries! We're excited to introduce you to our talented professionals! Lauren Moore: A Chartered Manager (Fellow) with an MSc in Management and Leadership, Lauren joined Envireau Water in 2018 and now leads business operations across the company’s four offices, playing a central role in shaping and delivering the company's strategic direction. Lauren’s expertise spans project and change management, business innovation, digital transformation and marketing, with a strong focus on improving operational efficiency and supporting sustainable growth.
Show More
By Rachael Plant June 5, 2025
Across the globe, plastic pollution is becoming an increasingly crucial topic, with an estimated 400 million tonnes being produced every year world wide. While the focus is often on visible plastic (including bottles, bags, and packaging), a growing body of research is turning its attention to the invisible threat of microplastics and emerging contaminants, which are increasingly finding their way into water sources, food chains and even the air we breathe.  What are microplastics? Microplastics are a growing threat to the health of our planet. Despite being barely visible, these tiny plastic particles account for roughly 8% of global plastic waste, a number that is set to increase in the coming years.
By Rachael Plant May 28, 2025
We officially unveiled our newest office location in April last year! Known as a hub of Hydrogeology, our Shrewsbury office sits in the heart of the town and is a testament to our growth and a strategic move to better serve our clients in the West Midlands and Wales. We're excited to introduce you to our skilled experts! Tamsin Morey: Having joined in 2003, Principal Water Resources Specialist Tamsin has over 20 years consulting experience, with her role focusing primarily on water resource management and high level regulator negotiation. Tamsin manages projects primarily within the agricultural and food & drink industries, with expertise ranging from catchment-scale water resource assessments to the delivery of detailed site-specific solutions to solve specific client issues.
By Rachael Plant May 21, 2025
Welcome to our Melbourne office in Derbyshire! Connecting you to both Derby and Leicester, this charming market town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and a multitude of boutique shops and delicious bakeries! We're excited to introduce you to our talented professionals! Lauren Moore: A Chartered Manager (Fellow) with an MSc in Management and Leadership, Lauren joined Envireau Water in 2018 and now leads business operations across the company’s four offices, playing a central role in shaping and delivering the company's strategic direction. Lauren’s expertise spans project and change management, business innovation, digital transformation and marketing, with a strong focus on improving operational efficiency and supporting sustainable growth.
By Rachael Plant May 20, 2025
As much as we all love the sunshine and have been embracing the recent warmer weather spell across the UK, the prolonged dry conditions are now raising concerns that England may be at risk of a potential drought this summer. Following an exceptionally sunny and dry April, which experienced just over 56% of usual rainfall, the start of May was also the warmest on record, surpassing the previous high set in 1990. With water resources already strained, it is more important than ever that proactive measures are promptly adopted to mitigate this risk, promote water conservation and avoid the potential for future restrictions. We asked Principal Water Resources Specialist, Tamsin Morey , for her thoughts on the matter... Tamsin, what dangers are we already seeing in the UK?
Show More