RAPID is committed to achieving long-term water resources resilience. To support appropriate decision making for the decades ahead, we provide strategic direction to the development of water resource supply infrastructure.
RAPID takes an inclusive and collaborative approach to governance, engaging with representatives from the water sector and other stakeholders to help steer the work and recommendations. This includes promoting the exploration of how water resources could be managed differently in the future to deliver better outcomes for customers, the environment, and society.
RAPID is also developing and using evidence to help shape regional plans, particularly where a national perspective is required – such as water resources modelling at a national level for England and Wales.
RAPID modelling work
While each of the regional groups focuses on regional needs, RAPID is focusing on the national picture. This includes identifying, tracking and mitigating risks associated with the implementation of the regional plans and exploring opportunities to deliver wider benefits.
RAPID is also developing evidence such as the outputs of its England and Wales scale water resources modelling to support long-term decision making in this area.
The National System Simulation Modelling (NSSM) – Project Phase 1 Report – December 2021
The National System Simulation Modelling (NSSM) Project – Phase 2 Report – July 2022
Major Water Infrastructure Programme: combined gated process
In March 2026, RAPID began transitioning SROs to a new combined gated process that brings together the RAPID gates and Ofwat’s Major Projects stages under the Major Water Infrastructure Programme. Some schemes will move across gradually as part of this transition. Find out more here.
The Major Water Infrastructure Programme (MWIP) includes the 30 large-scale water infrastructure projects set out at PR24. The new MWIP combined gated process brings together RAPID’s oversight of early project development and Ofwat’s Major Projects team’s regulation of later stage delivery. RAPID and Ofwat’s Major Projects team continue to carry out their regulatory roles, now operating using this single, combined process that reduces duplication and helps critical infrastructure progress at pace while protecting customers and the environment.