Organisations from all parts of the water sector are joining forces to create a new, ambitious vision for the future.  The move, coordinated by regulators, government, industry and the Consumer Council for Water, will see the sector develop a new long-term vision to guide it towards having the most positive impact possible on society and the environment. The water sector is confronting a range of profound challenges including climate change, population growth and greater customer expectations. In recent years it has also come under pressure to prove it is doing the right things for customers and the environment and acting in the right way to secure continued public trust.

A draft vision

Following discussion with customers and stakeholders on what a vision should achieve, three themes have emerged:

  • First, the importance of the sector delivering everyday excellence. These are essential services and customers’ growing and changing demands should be met.
  • Second, long-term stewardship of the environment, assets and relationships with customers.
  • Third, the importance for the sector to add value – that means value for money to customers, but it also means companies delivering value for communities and the environment.

Ofwat: emerging thinking heralds more change on the way for water sector

Ofwat has published a discussion paper setting out its emerging thinking about a new shared vision for the water sector and Ofwat’s strategy for regulating the water and wastewater companies in England and Wales from 2020 onwards.

Introducing the paper, Ofwat’s emerging strategy – Join the conversation, the regulator has highlighted the main challenges facing the water sector as:

  • Long-term water resources
  • Operational resilience
  • Pressures on the natural environment
  • Customers’ changing expectations
  • Legitimacy
  • Affordability

Ofwat says in the paper:

“We are looking afresh at how we can deliver our part of the shared vision. There is much that has worked in the past which we should retain and evolve. But the challenges mean we need to make important shifts in what we do and how we work.”

Click here to access their report and take part in the process

Final thoughts

Perhaps it is the ongoing threat of renationalisation that prompted this bout of soul searching and vision setting. The reality is that these initiatives are a major opportunity for the Water Companies and their regulators to act with real ambition to meet the challenges facing biodiversity and climate change entirely consistently with meeting their primary responsibilities. Three areas come quickly to mind:

·         Energy is one of the major costs to the water sector and it is uniquely well placed, with its technical expertise to capitalise on renewables of all sorts. It could be a major energy generator saving itself huge sums in running costs – which could be passed on to customers.

·         Over the last decade huge progress has been made its involvement in catchment management redoubled with but efforts could be emphasis on a host of multiple benefits, not least from upstream management to help sustain supplies and reduce treatment costs.

·         And, why oh why, are companies still getting caught by major pollution events which cost increasing levels of fines and inflict massive reputational damage to their operations.

An opportunity to show the younger generation some real ambition and action – Bob Earll

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