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A water impact assessment looks to safe guard perhaps the most important resource in the world, with only 1% percent of all fresh water on the planet being in a drinkable form, and most of that being under ground. With drought and flooding becoming wide spread even in the UK water impact assessment is an important and wide reaching aspect of EIA.
Water is such an intrinsic part of the environment that the water assessment component of the EIA will likely influence other components such as visual impact, soils and geomorphology.
Do you require a Water Impact Assessment? Please contact SWEL for a quotation. Discussed below are relevant sectors, that may require a water impact assessment:
Water sports taking place in fresh water environments such as lakes and reservoirs may require a water impact assessment. The typical focus we have observed is pathogenic impacts on water quality in reservoirs, and we have written 2 reports on this subject since 2015. A report in this instance would include a baseline survey (which typically shows higher levels of pathogens in the summer months. Pathogen are not necessarly due to human uses of the water body, and are present from birds, and agricultural run off.
Housing
Overt he last 5 years or so ( as of 2024) we have seen more and more data emerging about the poor state of our sewage infrastructure in the UK. This has manifested itself in the increased use of storm overflows, and increasing nutrient levels in protected rivers.
It is also clear that sewer companies will state that they have "capacity" for additional inflow, even when the receiving infrastructure is not treating the water very well. For example excessive use of combined sewer overflows.
So in the case of new housing it is sometimes justified to ask for a water quality assessment, and in nutrient affected catchment this is quite common, with reports in this instance being badged as Nutrient Neutrality and Mitigation Assessments (NNMAS).
Creation of the new water abstraction (for brewing or malting's for
example) may have an impact of water cycle in a given catchment.
Water Impact is assessed on the basis of its
quantity, its quality and its stake holders.
Assessing impact of water quantity will involve
looking at the project as part of the local water cycle, how will the
development add or subtract from that equation. Inputs such as rainfall,
and inflow will be considered, and losses from evaporation and runoff
will be studied to create a water balance for the study area.
Elements taken in to account in the Water Impact component of
environmental impact assessment are:
-Infiltration
-Groundwater
-Surface Waters
-Floodplain
Water quality impact is also assessed, and will include benchmarking of current levels of determinants and the developments likely impacts of these levels in relation to current local EQS. The above OS map is reproduced under our PMCL, which is updated annually.
Read About Water Impact Assessment Case Study for a Water Sports Use in a Reservoir.
The below section was written by a machine.
A Water Impact Assessment (WIA) is a specialized study required to evaluate the potential effects of a development on the surrounding water environment. This includes assessing impacts on water quantity, water quality, and the overall hydrological balance of a site. In the UK, these assessments are often a prerequisite for obtaining planning consent, particularly for projects that may interact with sensitive water bodies or fall under the requirements of a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The core objective of a WIA is often to ensure compliance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This directive requires that developments do not cause a deterioration in the status of any water body and contribute to achieving "good" ecological status where possible. Our technical analysis covers several key areas:
A WIA is intrinsically linked to other technical disciplines, particularly those addressing water management. For instance, the results of the assessment must align with the findings of a Site-Specific Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) to ensure the development remains resilient to climate change without increasing flood risk elsewhere. Furthermore, for sites handling significant volumes of water or waste, a WIA provides the necessary technical authority to support environmental permit applications.
With over 15 years of industry experience and 900+ projects delivered across the UK, SWEL provides the professional insight and technical authority required to manage complex water-related challenges. Our reports are designed to meet the rigorous standards of the Environment Agency and local planning authorities, providing a clear route to project consent. Whether you are addressing nutrient neutrality issues or conducting soakaway testing, our team offers the expertise needed to secure your project's environmental and operational future.