The Environmental Audit Committee report on the effect of heatwaves has just been released Environment Agency steps up response to mounting impacts of dry weather & drought risk The Environment Agency is stepping up its response to tackle the mounting impacts of continued dry weather and coordinate action to maintain water supplies and manage the other […]
Measures to deliver deep cuts in household water demand require greater leadership and collaboration Water Briefing: ‘Rob Lawson, Water Resources Director at Artesia Consulting explores the issues around Ofwat’s recent report on the long-term potential for deep reductions in household demand in the context of current AMP7 business planning. Rob Lawson: Ofwat published their report on the long-term potential […]
Defra ‘United Utilities shareholders set to receive £181m The Mail on Sunday has reported on water company United Utilities’ plans to pay out £181 million dividends to its shareholders days before a hosepipe ban takes effect across North West England. Coverage focusses on the reported failure of water companies to invest in infrastructure with the equivalent […]
The problem with droughts, unlike floods, is that they are slow train issues … by the time you realise you have a problem it’s too late. The ongoing hot weather and prolonged period of low or no rain has led to United Utilities being the first of the big companies to introduce a hose pip […]
As the great summer weather continues last week saw the first burst of alerts to the public to use less water from Scotland to Thames. This is in measure to try and curb the increased demand such weather provokes. ‘Droughts’ are notoriously slow to develop, and at the point when the seriousness is realised it […]
This letter is Minister Rutley‘s (Interim Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) response to the Chief Executive Officer of Ofwat. Ofwat sent a letter to Minister Rutley setting out initial reactions to the National Infrastructure Commission’s ‘preparing for a drier future’ report on water. This included thoughts on how the sector needs to […]
The National Infrastructure Commission has warned that households face a high risk of having their water cut off in times of severe drought, unless utilities halve leakage and build a new grid to transport supplies around the country. The report urges the government to ‘immediately’ start adopting a twin track approach to boost supplies while […]
‘Ofwat has clarified the PR19 requirements for leakage. The regulator has confirmed that its approach to leakage performance commitments will take account of companies that might want to start their improvements ahead of the 2020-25 price control period. It has also explained that the approach to the threshold for enhanced outperformance payments is different for […]