This section covers cross-cutting legislation and policies which affect multiple water topics. For legislation or policies on specific water topics such as water quality, please see the individual sections.

• The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is designed to improve and integrate the way water bodies are managed throughout Europe. Find out more.
• The White Paper will be a vehicle to drive forward the commitment in the coalition agreement to “examine the conclusions of the Cave and Walker Reviews, and reform the water industry to ensure more efficient use of water and the protection of poorer households”. In the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 it was announced that a draft Bill will be published to reform the water industry in England and Wales. Find out more.
• The Catchment Based Approach will focus on the management of land and water in a co-ordinated and sustainable way to balance environmental, economic and social demands at a catchment scale. Find out more.
• The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 will help tackle bad debt in the water industry, improve the affordability of water bills for certain groups and individuals, and help ensure continuity of water supplies to the consumer.

Waste Water National Policy Statement

Consultation into the draft Waste Water National Policy Statement ended on 22 February 2011. Careful consideration of the consultation responses, and the report produced by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, is currently underway. The draft Waste Water National Policy Statement will be laid before Parliament for approval shortly, along with our response to the EFRA Select Committee report. At the same time we will publish our response to consultation and Impact Assessment into the draft Waste Water NPS on the Defra website.

• Read the consultation document, FAQs and annexes