What does the future hold? The next 5 years

The aim of this conference is to give delegates a flavour of the challenges faced by urban drainage practitioners in delivering significant capital and operational investment programmes over the next 5 years, for both Water Companies and Local Authorities. These challenges include the drive for efficiencies, innovation, system optimisation and operation, accounting for carbon, climate change and collaborative working, all topics that will be covered by the conference.

• Drive for efficiencies – Water Companies are under higher pressures than ever before to deliver programme efficiencies across the board. All stakeholders will be required to maximise outputs, reduce costs and deliver increased value throughout the design and construction process. Modelling plays a key role in delivering this value in the planning and solution development process.
• Innovation – This will be an essential tool in delivering efficiencies through advances in technology, smarter processes and better use of modelling and data gathering techniques.
• System optimisation and operation – managing risk in the urban drainage system is not just constructing newer larger assets; smarter management of the system and better use of modelling and associated disciplines provides an opportunity to improve serviceability rather than more capital expenditure.
• Accounting for Carbon – Increasingly, schemes are being measured in terms of carbon cost, and the conference will look at how this is beginning to influence decisions for urban drainage practitioners.
• Climate Change – In order to plan for the future, we must accurately consider changes in rainfall patterns over time. Research is continuously moving forward in this field and modelling plays a key role in understanding the impacts on system performance and design.
• Collaborative Working – Larger number of stakeholders are involved in the management and design of urban drainage systems. Delivery of efficiencies, innovation and optimised solutions will only be achieved by all stakeholders working together. Surface Water Management Plans and AMP5 Design and Build arrangements lead the way in showing how this can be achieved.

The objectives of the meeting will be to explore the key challenges facing the water industry over the next 5 years, and explore how urban drainage practitioners will meet these, particularly in the context of modelling and system management. The conference will:

• Inform delegates of the key messages and challenges faced through case studies including integrated modelling, water quality modelling, surface water management plans and improved system operation.
• Describe the latest technical developments, areas of research and innovations in urban drainage studies, including data acquisition, modelling, sustainable design, optimisation and asset management techniques.
• Provide a forum for delegates and stakeholders to influence the development of future methods and procedures, and to understand how these challenges will be met.