US EditionFinal report into 'broken' water industry says regulator Ofwat should be scrapped
ENGLAND AND WALES, UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 21 – The Independent Water Commission’s 88 recommendations aim to fix underinvestment, pollution, and poor regulation with a new regulator and a 36% rise in water bills over five years.
- On Monday, July 21, Environment Secretary Steve Reed revealed that the Labour administration plans to eliminate Ofwat as part of a comprehensive reform of water regulation in England and Wales.
- This announcement follows a landmark Independent Water Commission review led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, which found the water industry and its regulation system broken after decades of underinvestment and rising pollution.
- The review made 88 recommendations including creating a single, powerful regulator, establishing a new water ombudsman, and enforcing tighter oversight of company ownership and infrastructure investment.
- Steve Reed announced a plan to reduce sewage contamination in England’s rivers by 50% by 2030, supported by a £104 billion investment in upgrading the sector’s infrastructure, and emphasized that establishing a single regulator will help eliminate past misconduct.
- The reforms aim to rebuild public confidence via transparency and resilience but require higher bills to address long-term underinvestment and environmental challenges.
136 Articles
136 Articles
No wonder England’s water needs cleaning up – most sewage discharges aren’t even classified as pollution incidents
oneSHUTTER oneMEMORY/ShutterstockEngland’s privatised water industry may one day be considered a textbook case study of failed corporate responsibility, regulation and governance. The Cunliffe review, the recent report into England’s privatised water industry, concluded that the financial regulator, OfWat, needs to be disbanded and a new water regulator will be introduced. For that to work effectively, better pollution monitoring and more clearl…
Public ownership only answer to water industry crisis not another failed regulator, Unite the union warns
Unite the union, Britain’s leading trade union representing water industry workers, has warned that public ownership is the only answer to the water industry crisis not another failed regulator. It comes after the publication of a once-in-a-generation review of the water industry, which called, among its recommendations, for a new single integrated regulator to replace existing water watchdogs, mandatory water metering, and a social tariff for v…
Political opinion with Kieran Mullan MP: Government must present a clear and credible plan for water
Having clean water is important to everyone in the UK, especially for coastal communities such as ours. Whether you are wanting to go into the sea on a sunny afternoon or running a business that relies on tourism – when our waters are polluted it affects us all.
A study report draws a gloomy picture of the water supply privatized in England since the 1980s: uneconomicity, disregarded environmental standards, leaks and poor water quality.
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