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<p>The government is working closely with other water regulators and the water industry
to improve the resilience of water supplies. The government recognises continued action
is required and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’, of reducing demand for
water and increasing supply in parallel.</p><p> </p><p>Water companies have a statutory
duty to provide clean and reliable water to customers under the Water Industry Act
1991. To fulfil this duty there is a statutory requirement to maintain water resources
management plans, which balance water supply and demand at least twenty-five years
into the future.</p><p> </p><p>The government, the Environment Agency and Ofwat issued
guidance to water companies in 2016 on how they should be planning to supply water
to a growing population, while protecting and enhancing our environment, including
taking appropriate action to respond to climate projections. Water companies are currently
revising their plans.</p><p> </p><p>The government is taking steps to improve water
resources planning to ensure that there is better collaboration between water companies
and other water using sectors on their water supply resilience. This includes the
Environment Agency developing a National Framework for water resources, which use
evidence to illustrate the regional and national challenge of water availability.
The government has also consulted on legislative improvements to ensure that water
companies’ plans are informed by effective collaboration.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment
Agency is also implementing the abstraction plan, published in 2017. This includes
work to bring together the Environment Agency, abstractors and catchment groups to
develop local solutions to protect and enhance the environment, and improve access
to water.</p>
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