Guiding Principles for Developing Water Undertaker Drought Plans for 2025

They provide an overview of the Welsh Government expectations, the statutory process and the role and responsibilities of Government, regulators, and water undertakers. They should be read in conjunction with the Water Company Drought Plan Technical Guideline published by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Drought plans are primarily operational plans setting out how water undertakers will maintain water supplies to their customers during periods of low rainfall when water resources become depleted, whilst minimising any negative impacts (including on customers, businesses and the environment) of its actions during a drought. They should set out the short-term operational steps a water undertaker will take before, during and after a drought.

The Water Industry Act 1991 defines a drought plan as ‘a plan for how the water undertaker will continue, during a period of drought, to discharge its duties to supply adequate quantities of wholesome water with as little recourse as reasonably possible to drought orders or drought permits’. This is complemented by a water resources management plan (WRMP), which sets out how water undertakers will manage their water supplies over the long-term.

Your drought plan should demonstrate how you have taken into account the Welsh Government’s priorities, principles and policy commitments set out in relevant legislation, including the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015), the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the Water Strategy for Wales.

NRW has published the Drought Plan Technical Guideline which is a framework for you to follow when preparing and publishing your drought plans. It sets out good practice in developing a plan with reference to approaches to follow and the information a plan should contain. You should follow these guiding principles, in conjunction with the NRW technical guideline, and make sure your plan covers the requirements specified by the Water Industry Act 1991, Drought Plan Regulations and Directions (Wales) and other relevant statutory requirements.

The Water Strategy for Wales makes clear the importance the Welsh Government attaches to adopting an integrated and sustainable approach to maintaining resilient water resources. Drought plans must set out how water supplies will be maintained in the event of a drought. You should also set out how your plan helps to respond to climate and nature emergencies.

The Welsh Government has declared a climate emergency and climate change adaptation as one of its priorities. The Welsh Report of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) published in 2021 highlights potential changes to rainfall in the future in Wales, depending on the season. Summer rainfall is expected to decrease by approximately 15% by the 2050s. This means periods of water scarcity may become more prevalent under these scenarios, leading to possible implications for public water supply and other sectors such as agriculture and industry. It will also reduce the recharge of water into our underground water resources in the areas of Wales where these are important. River flows in summer are likely to be lower and drought conditions are more likely to occur.

You are expected to understand the vulnerability of your supply system to drought risk and align with the assumptions set out in your WRMP and to more challenging but plausible drought scenarios. You must set out the magnitude and duration of droughts of which your drought plan has been tested.

You should identify and implement measures to reduce demand and optimise your resources before seeking to take measures that could be more damaging to the environment. Enhanced water efficiency campaigns, voluntary restraint, temporary customer restrictions in terms of temporary use bans (TUBs), and non-essential use bans (NEUBs) can form part of the group of drought management actions you could take to reduce demand from the onset and during a drought. We also expect you to set out in your plan, any measures to reduce demand that you will take as a consequence of peak demands linked to dry hot weather (heatwaves). This may occur when you are within normal or developing drought, however, peak demands may cause concerns for your supply network, such as treatment works at capacity and increase pressures on freshwater ecosystems when river flows are low or declining. Therefore, you should clarify any actions you will take to reduce demand in these cases within your plan.

The frequency of restrictions corresponds to customer levels of service, and you should engage with your customers on their preferences. The planned levels of service should be in-line with your WRMP. If there are any changes or differences in levels of service, you should review and revise your plans as necessary to ensure they align.

You must set out the permits and approvals you may need in order to implement your drought management measures, the discussions that have occurred between you and bodies responsible for granting these, and the arrangements for discussions with yourselves and those bodies from the onset, during and post-drought for all droughts covered by your plan.

You should complete environmental assessments for all supply-side drought measures if you identified any in your plan and any monitoring requirements. You must include any measures to mitigate against any adverse effects of your drought management measures as well as any permissions and approvals required.

The information for any drought permits and orders included in a drought plan is to be ‘as close’ to application ready as possible, especially for those sites that have been identified as causing significant impact to the environment or are most likely to be required in a drought. For more information refer to NRW’s Drought Plan Technical Guideline.

You must also set out the management structure you will put in place during a drought showing who has responsibility for what (the decision-making hierarchy and roles within that structure).

The Water Strategy for Wales highlights the importance of ensuring a strong customer focus at the heart of the delivery of water and sewerage services in Wales. This requires both a sound understanding of existing and future customer needs, and a strong voice for consumer representation.

You should proactively engage with your customers, the Consumer Council for Water (including on your proposed engagement and consultation strategy), NRW and other relevant regulators through direct engagement and consultation early in the process of plan development and maintain an ongoing dialogue throughout the entire process.

New appointments and variations (NAVs) made under Water Industry Act 1991 (S7) enable Ofwat to replace the appointed water supply or sewerage undertaker by another for a specific area within the appointed undertaker’s licence area. NAVs have the same duties and responsibilities as other undertakers to produce drought plans. These can include measures for reducing demand and looking for alternative water supplies instead of relying entirely on their usual bulk water supplier.

Water Supply & Sewerage Licensees (WSSLs) must carry out reasonable instructions given to them during a drought by the relevant water undertakers as specified in their drought plan.

If you have a NAV or Water retailer in your operating area, your drought plan should set out how you will engage with them in order for them to inform the preparation of your plan such as information you require from them. You should also discuss with them arrangements for any drought management actions (e.g. TUBs or NEUBs) that they may have to implement to their customers during the drought (aligning with those that you are taking).

Where you are a NAVs operating under a bulk supply agreement(s) with another undertaker(s), some parts of your plan may be proportionate to reflect this. You must produce a drought plan that demonstrates that all the statutory requirements have been met, but the level of detail within the plan may be relative to your customer base and how you obtain your water supplies. You should set out how you will engage with the supplier to maintain water supplies, understanding if there are any constraints on supply, feed into the development of the suppliers’ planned levels of service and to take account of donor/neighbouring undertaker’s data and information when preparing your plans. You should discuss the requirements for your plan, and what is proportionate with NRW and relevant other regulators at an early stage in the process.

The legislative requirements to prepare and publish a drought plan are set out under Sections 39B and 39C of the Water Industry Act 1991. These provisions set out the procedures to be followed when developing drought plans.

The Drought Plan Regulations 2005 provide further detail on the process, particularly around:

• handling representations and the statement of response to representations
• the power of the Welsh Ministers to hold an inquiry or hearing
• publication requirements.

In preparing and publishing a drought plan you must also take account of current legislation and Government policies which include:

• The Drought Plan Direction 2017 and any further Directions given by the Welsh Government.
• Flood and Water Management Act 2010, s36
• Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010
• Water Act 2014, s28
• Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 – Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Water Environment (Water Framework Directive (WFD)) (England & Wales) Regulations 2017
• Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• Habitats Directive
• Drinking Water Directive
• The Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009
• EU Regulation (1143/2014) on invasive alien (non-native) species (2015)
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
• Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
• Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
• Environment (Wales) Act 2016
• Water Strategy for Wales (Welsh Government 2015)
• The Environment Act 2021
• Prosperity for all: A Climate Conscious Wales
• Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, part 5

Note: this list may not be exhaustive.

You should carry out a screening to determine if a full Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is required for your drought plan. These should also incorporate any additional requirements under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (where appropriate). The conclusions from the environmental assessments should be used to inform both the SEA and HRA, as appropriate.

You must submit your draft drought plan to the Welsh Ministers and NRW and if your supply area or drought management actions are within or affecting parts of England, you must also send it to the Secretary of State and the Environment Agency. If any actions affect designated sites in England, you must also send it to Natural England.

You must consult on and publish your drought plan and statement of response bilingually in accordance with your statutory requirements under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.

3.1 Water Undertakers

You should follow the guidelines set out in Water Company Drought Plan Technical Guideline published by NRW.

You must prepare and publish drought plans with the involvement of your customers and statutory consultees. You must set out the short-term operational steps you will take before, during and after a drought to supply water to your customers, whilst minimising any negative impacts of your actions.

The information you will be required to provide within the drought plan should be proportionate to your size, customer base, how you obtain your water supplies, and impacts of actions on the environment or others. You should take account of donor/neighbouring company’s data, information and drought management actions when preparing your drought plan. You should discuss with NRW and other relevant regulators the requirements for your drought plan at an early stage in the process.

Water supply & sewerage licences (WSSLs) can supply water to large non-domestic customers using public water supply networks of water incumbents. WSSLs (known as Water retailers or self-suppliers) are not required to prepare their own drought plans. They must under terms of their special licence conditions provide undertakers with any relevant information they request to inform their plans and implement drought management measures requested by the incumbents.

For more information about types of water undertakers, refer to Ofwat’s website

3.2 Welsh Government

The Welsh Government is responsible for water policy in Wales and provides the statutory framework and policy guidance for drought plans within which undertakers must operate.

The Welsh Government issues the guiding principles, setting out what is required in a drought plan. Following the publication of the draft drought plan, interested groups send representations to the Welsh Ministers and these are forwarded to the appropriate undertaker and NRW.

The Welsh Ministers may direct you to make changes or to publish a new plan. They will consider the draft drought plan, statement of response and advice from NRW and other regulators to determine whether:

i) a public hearing or an inquiry is required
ii) to direct you to make changes and publish a final plan
iii) to redo and publish (and consult on) a new Drought Plan.

3.3 Ofwat

Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water industry. Ofwat must carry out its functions in accordance with the Statement of Strategic Priorities and Objectives it receives from the Welsh Government as well as other statutory guidance on specific issues such as charging.

Section 39B of the Water Industry Act 1991 requires you to consult with Ofwat before preparing your drought plan (pre-consultation phase).

Once the draft plan is published, Ofwat may make representations to the Welsh Ministers on the content of the draft plan. Following publication of the statement of response, Ofwat will engage with NRW and may input into their advice to the Welsh Government for the final plan.

3.4 Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

NRW advises the Welsh Ministers in respect of drought plans where they affect Wales. The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 requires NRW to pursue the sustainable management of natural resources (SMNR) and to apply the principles of SMNR in the exercise of all of its functions. NRW will provide advice in a manner which will apply these principles which include consequences of actions in the short, medium, and long-term, the services provided by ecosystems, public participation and the resilience of ecosystems.

NRW publishes Water Company Drought Plan Technical Guidance for you to follow when developing and presenting your drought plan. You must consult them before preparing your drought plan. They will provide advice to you throughout the planning process to help you understand what you need to do to comply with their guidelines and these guiding principles and relevant legislative requirements.

NRW will make representation to the Welsh Ministers and you on the content of the draft drought plan following public consultation. This will include any areas of concerns, and provide specific instructions, where possible, for you to address these through your appropriate statement of response.

We expect you to produce a revised draft drought plan to accompany your statement of response. The statement of response should clearly explain the changes you have made to your draft drought plan.

Once the statement of response is published NRW, with input from other relevant regulators, will provide technical advice to the Welsh Ministers to help them decide on the next steps. This advice is shared with Defra if it affects England.

The advice is likely to cover whether:

• your plan meets the statutory requirements
• you have properly addressed the representations received, or if not, provided justification as to why
• the changes proposed to your plan explained in the statement of response (or have made in a revised plan) are significantly different to the draft on which you consulted
• improvements NRW and other regulators advise should be made to the final plan

You may request the help of NRW in responding to any request from the Welsh Government for further information. NRW may be asked to provide advice to Ministers once the additional information is submitted.

If your draft drought plan goes to a hearing or an inquiry, NRW may be a main party to the hearing or inquiry and present Government policy and legislative views. Hearings and inquiries provide an opportunity for disputed issues to be considered by an inspector.

When the Welsh Government considers whether you should publish your final drought plan, NRW will advise if it meets any directions or further guidance made by Ministers.

3.5 Consumer Council for Water (CCW)

The Water Strategy for Wales highlights the importance of ensuring a strong consumer focus at the heart of the delivery of water and sewerage services in Wales. This requires both a sound understanding of existing and future consumer needs, and a strong voice for consumer representation. You should engage your customers and CCW directly and by consultation early in the process of your drought plan development as part of your continual dialogue with your customers. For example, consumers may take a view on the levels of service (in terms of frequency of restrictions on use).

3.6 Environment Agency, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Natural England

You should engage with these organisations in respect of any part of your drought plan that is within or affecting England. The Environment Agency and Defra are both statutory consultees.

Natural England is responsible for protecting habitats, species and ecosystems that depend on water, in particular European sites, Ramsar sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England. The Environment Agency and Natural England may comment on the English parts of draft plans. Once the statement of response is published, they may choose to provide comments on matters that affect England to the Welsh Government via NRW advice.

Drought plans may contain information that could be considered sensitive on grounds of national security.

When submitting your draft plan to the Welsh Ministers for agreement to publish for consultation, you should submit a statement from your Security Manager, certifying that the plan has been reviewed and that it does not contain any information that would compromise national security interests. The statement must also say whether the plan contains any information that may be considered to be commercially confidential. Where information has been edited out, you should indicate the nature of the information that has been removed.

The Welsh Minsters may also direct an undertaker to leave out any information from its plans that would be contrary to the interests of national security or would be considered commercially confidential. (Section 37B(10)(a) and (b) of the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Water Act 2003) and the Environment Act 2021.

NRW’s Water Company Drought Plan Technical Guidance is supplementary to these guiding principles and covers some areas that are sensitive and you will need to decide whether to exclude this from the public version of the drought plan.

Overview of the statutory process for developing a drought plan

1. Prepare for consultation (Water undertakers)

Pre-draft plan consultation

2. Consult prior to preparation of draft plans (Water undertakers)

Preparation of draft plan

3. Prepare draft plans in line with Directions from SoS/WM and guidance (Water undertakers)

4. Submit draft plans to the Welsh Ministers (Water undertakers)

National Security and commercial confidentiality process

5. Plans checked for information contrary to national security and/or commercial confidentiality & notifies parties whose information is included in draft plans (The Welsh Ministers)

6. Make representations on objections to the Welsh Ministers regarding the inclusion of commercially sensitive data if necessary (Water undertakers & third parties)

7. Assess representations and notify water undertakers of decisions made on commercial
confidentially and national security (The Welsh Ministers)

Publish draft

8. Publish and distribute draft plans as prescribed in Direction (Water undertakers)

Representations on draft plans

9. Period of representation to the Welsh Ministers (Water undertakers)

10. Receive & forward representations to water undertakers (The Welsh Ministers)

11. Assess representations and produces statement of response (Water undertakers)

Amendments to plan (as directed by Welsh Minsters)

12. Receive advice & assess need for hearing/inquiry on draft plans (The Welsh Ministers)

13. Direct undertakers to amend plans if necessary (The Welsh Ministers)

14. Object to Direction on the basis of commercial confidentiality (Water undertakers)

15. Confirm Direction or issue new Direction (The Welsh Ministers)

16. Prepare final plans (Water undertakers)

17. Final plans checked against Drought Direction (Natural Resources Wales)

Publish final plan

18. Publish final plans (Water undertakers)

19. Review drought plans via WRMP annual review (Water undertakers)

6.1 Proactive Engagement

This is an important element in the process of preparing a draft drought plan. Before writing a draft plan, you must carry out pre-consultation discussions with the following statutory consultees:

• Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Ministers
• the Environment Agency and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the plan affects sites or customers in England
• Ofwat
• any water supply licensee that supplies water to premises in their operational area via the undertaker’s supply system.

When determining if a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is required, undertakers must consult NRW and Cadw. If the plan is likely to affect parts of England, you must also consult with the Environment Agency.

If the plan is likely to affect a designated conservation site, you must determine if Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is required and consult with NRW and/or Natural England (as relevant) at the earliest opportunity. You should also consider if your plan is likely to affect any local wildlife sites that have been designated by the local authority and consult with the managers of these sites.

Designated sites include:

• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs, including candidate areas)
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs, including potential areas)
• Ramsar sites (including proposed sites)
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
• National Nature Reserves (NNR)
• Local Nature Reserves (LNR) (contact local councils)
• local wildlife sites (contact local councils or wildlife trusts)
• Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs)
• landscapes including World Heritage sites, European Landscape Convention, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

6.2 Early engagement with customers and other interested parties

During the process of preparing the plan, you should ensure the views of customers are properly taken into account particularly on levels of service.

You should consult as widely as possible on the preparation of your plan and engage early with your customers and other interested parties and undertake pre-consultation engagement with other consultees, for example:

• any water supplier affected by your supply system
• any undertakers they have bulk supply or shared resource agreements with
• neighbouring undertakers and regional groups (if relevant)
• Consumer Council for Water
• Public Services Boards and other public service providers
• customer groups
• Wales Drought Liaison Group or equivalent groups
• any other groups or organisations that the plan is likely to affect (e.g. power plant operators or the Canal & River Trust)

Customer and stakeholder engagement on the drought plan should, as far as possible, align with customer engagement on your WRMP and business plan.

6.3 What to discuss

You should discuss:

• previous recommendations from statutory consultees in the last plan
• any ongoing work programmes, such as completion of environmental assessments and HRA requirements
• the views of customers, statutory consultees and other interested parties what you intend to include in your new plan
• what you intend to do differently from their existing drought plan
• clear narrative of what is not being including and why
• any advice issued by the Welsh Government
• lessons you have learned from any recent experiences of drought

You should use this early development phase to discuss the methods and approaches you will take, with NRW and/or Environment Agency/Natural England (as relevant). This discussion will allow a structured dialogue between the undertaker and the regulators, which should reduce the need for further clarification on content of your plan later in the process.

You should consult with NRW and the Welsh Government on how your drought plan helps deliver towards improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales as reflected in the seven well-being goals provided in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, as they will be expected to support other organisations to meet their statutory requirements under that Act. You should also discuss how the plan will help deliver their specific duties under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

You must start these discussions as early as possible and there is no limit to how far in advance you hold these discussions. Where possible you should share information that forms part of the plan and any environmental assessments that have been completed in advance of the submission. NRW and other regulators may offer comment on the approach taken however they will not make a binding determination on any parts of the draft plan in advance of the public consultation as they will need to assess the plan as a whole along with SEA and HRA (if required) and offer impartial advice to the Welsh Government.

You should seek initial views on temporary restrictions of water use from statutory consultees. Consumer Council for Water, your customers and interested groups (such as the Wales Drought Liaison Group) whilst preparing your draft plan. They can provide you with views on the priorities, sequencing, and potential exceptions for restrictions. They can also advise on communications during a drought regarding restrictions, notice periods and how customers would want comments to be dealt with. This could help you to identify interests and issues that you can consider when preparing your draft plans for full consultation.

You should also refer to UK Water Industry Research (WIR) good practice for water use restrictions.

This provides an indicative timetable for the key stages

7.1 The Draft Plan

Your draft plan should use the feedback from the engagement with statutory consultees and stakeholders. You must follow any statutory directions from the Welsh Ministers about the content of your draft plan as well as other relevant regulations and legislation. You may receive further Directions throughout the process.

Your draft plan should have an easy-to-read non-technical summary that helps bring together your drought plan and other linked plans such as your WRMP and business plan. This would sit alongside a more detailed technical document that regulators and interested parties will review to understand how you plan to manage a drought. You may also provide supporting information in appendices.

Your draft plan should aim to be as close to the final plan as possible, with the minimum of changes between the two. Where changes are necessary these should be clearly and comprehensively explained in the statement of response.

Drought plans will have links with other plans and should be consistent with them. You should demonstrate a link to the following:

• Water Resources Management Plan
• Business and emergency plans
• Drought plans by Natural Resources Wales and Environment Agency (as relevant)
• Other undertaker drought plans (as relevant)
• Area Statements
• PSBs Well-being Plans
• River basin management plans

7.2 Submission of the draft drought plan to the Welsh Ministers (October 2024)

The Welsh Ministers specify the latest date by which undertakers will need to make the submission. If the plan also affects sites and/or customers in England, undertakers must send it to the Secretary of State in addition to the Welsh Ministers.

The Welsh Government will provide instructions for submitting electronic copies of the plan to them. If applicable, the Welsh Government will provide undertakers with instructions about sending electronic copies of their plan to the Secretary of State via a secure transfer site. You will need to share a copy of the submission with Natural Resources Wales and to the Environment Agency (and Natural England) if it affects England. They will contact you with details of how to submit a copy to them electronically.

When you submit your draft plan to the Welsh Ministers for agreement to publish it for consultation you should:

• Submit a statement from your security manager, certifying that the plan has been reviewed and that it does not contain any information that would compromise national security interests. The statement must also say whether the plan contains any information that may be considered to be commercially confidential.
• Highlight the information you propose to redact or edit out in the published version, so that the Welsh Ministers may confirm whether it is to be removed on grounds of national security.

If you believe any parts of the draft plan or its accompanying appendices should not be published because it contains commercially sensitive information, they must tell the Welsh Ministers when it is submitted.

7.3 Publish and consult on the draft drought plan (January 2025)

The Welsh Ministers will tell you when to publish your draft drought plan for public consultation. They must make it available on your website and in paper form at one of your main offices. You must send electronic copies of the draft plan and its accompanying appendices to all consultees listed in the Drought Plan Regulations 2005 and all other organisations involved in the pre consultation discussions including NRW and/or Environment Agency (as relevant). You must also publish a statement with the draft plan that:

• specifies whether you have left out any commercially confidential or sensitive information within the website version of the plan
• describes the process for providing comments (also known as representations) on the draft plan to the Welsh Ministers
• states when any comments must be received by and where they should be sent

As a matter of good practice you should consider:

• offering to explain the draft plan to established groups, known interested parties or undertakers within their area
• using social media to highlight the consultation

The approach you take will depend on your circumstances and the issues you are facing in the future.

You have 15 weeks (unless specified differently in a new ministerial Direction) to consult on your draft plan and produce a statement of response from the date of its publication. It is your responsibility to decide how long you will take to carry out the public consultation, although, as has been the practice for previous plans we recommend a minimum period of 8 weeks.

You should allow enough time:

• for consultees to make comments on the plan – allow more time for more complex draft plans
• to produce a statement of response based on the comments you receive

The consultation must clearly state that all responses should be sent to the Welsh Ministers, using the email or postal address below:

Water Branch
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff CF10 3NQ
WaterEPC@gov.wales

The Welsh Ministers will forward copies of any comments received to you and to NRW for review, in its regulatory role as technical advisor to the Welsh Government. NRW will seek input from Ofwat, the Environment Agency and/or Natural England where comments affect England.

7.4 Publish a statement of response within 15 weeks after publication of draft plan

You must produce and publish a statement of response after completing the public consultation (within 15 weeks of publishing your draft plan unless stated differently in a Direction from the Welsh Ministers). The statement of response must:

• show that you have considered the comments you have received
• clearly and comprehensively set out any changes you have made to the draft plan (including those as a result of the comments you have received) and the reasons for making them
• say if you have not made changes as a result of comments received

You should decide whether the statement of response alone allows people to understand clearly and easily the changes you have made. If there are several changes, we expect you to publish a revised plan alongside it with changes highlighted.

You must publish the statement of response as per the drought plan Directions and Regulations and inform those who have made comments that you have published it.

Once completed you must send your statement of response to the Welsh Ministers along with your revised plan (if you have prepared one), and any other information you have requested or advised to send by NRW and other relevant regulators. You must notify the Ministers of any further information that may be commercially confidential, or which has been, or they consider should be, removed for reasons of national security.

The Welsh Government will review the revised plan (if prepared), the comments made and statement of response, along with technical advice from NRW. There may need to be a public hearing, inquiry or an examination in public if there are unresolved issues with their draft plan. The Welsh Government will decide and inform you if a hearing or inquiry is needed.

7.5 Preparation and publication of the final drought plan (Summer 2025)

You must prepare a final drought plan (“final plan”) and submit this to the Welsh Ministers and NRW (and also the Environment agency if affects England). The Welsh Ministers will advise you of the timescales for submission and any changes (through Directions) that need to be made to the plan as a result of comments received, statement of response or the outcome of any hearings or inquiries.

You cannot publish your final plan until you have received a Direction to publish from the Welsh Ministers. NRW will check the final plan submission before publication and advise the Welsh Ministers whether anything else that needs changing. Therefore, before publishing their final plan you must:

• follow any Directions from the Welsh Ministers
• allow enough time to make final checks

You must publish the final plan on your website and in accordance with the Drought Plan Regulations 2005 and send electronic copies of the final plan to NRW and anyone you have consulted. If the plan affects England, you should send this to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and the Environment Agency/Natural England

You should also:

• make paper copies available at your main office
• advertise the availability of paper copies on your website
• bring it to the attention of anyone else that it is likely to affect

You should review your drought plan every year, regardless of whether or not there has been a drought. You should also review your environmental assessments and environmental monitoring plans (if you have any) to ensure they are up-to-date and account for any new data or information that has become available since their last review. It is recommended this review be carried out as part of the annual review process of your WRMP. You should provide an overview of

• any lessons learned through recent drought experience or exercises and whether this affects the plan
• any changes to the information within the plan such as control curves or new drought management measures
• progress on any agreed work programmes with regulators including environmental assessments or Habitats Regulations Assessments

Natural Resources Wales and the Environment Agency publish joint WRMP annual review guidance which will includes what is required regarding the review of your drought plan.
You are required to revise your drought plan when:

• there is a material change of circumstances as determined by you or the Welsh Ministers
• where experience during a drought event has revealed inaccuracies in your plan
• if directed to do so by the Welsh Ministers
• in any event, not later than 5 years after publication of your previous plan

You must consult with the Welsh Ministers and NRW on any material changes that you wish to make to your plan. In some cases if the changes are deemed ‘material’ you may be required to amend and re-consult on your plan. The Welsh Government will advise you of the process if this is necessary.

You should also periodically run exercises to test your drought plan, should there be a period of time where you have not encountered drought conditions and had recourse to use your drought plan.