Ofwat has published its draft determinations for English and Welsh water companies, allowing a spending package of £88bn over the next 5 years, £16bn less than proposed by companies in their business plans. Ofwat’s headlines Investment of £10bn to tackle storm overflows with a target to reduce spills from storm overflows by 44% from levels […]
New Environment Secretary Steve Reed used x (formerly known as twitter) to set out the top 5 priorities for Defra in the new parliament. These are: Rivers and seas clean up Zero waste economy Support famers for food security Nature recovery Protecting communities from flooding Also of interest, these key points from CIWEM – Labour […]
Over at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband sets out his priorities for the department. These are: delivering our mission to boost energy independence and cutting bills through clean power by 2030 taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy upgrading Britain’s homes and cutting fuel poverty […]
UKWIR’s 2023/4 Annual Review is now available. Click here to download your copy. Inside you will find: Highlights from the past year: A look back at UKWIR’s most notable achievements over the last 12 months, significant research projects and reports, secured funding and partnerships Refreshed research: An overview of our new, wide-ranging research strategy to […]
According to The Guardian, the prime minister and chancellor have been briefed by Whitehall officials that the poor state of Thames Water presents a “critical risk” to the country. Fears about the company go beyond its precarious financial position and include the management of sites that provide drinking water and sewage treatment for millions of […]
Thames Water’s annual results have raised some eyebrows this week, as they suggest the company only has sufficient funding to operate until May 2025. The results have raised fears over its potential collapse, unless investors provide additional funds. In light of concerns about Thames, Ofwat has published an Information note on Thames Water’s draft determination. […]
The Environment Agency is exploring the feasibility of using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technology to digitise, read and interpret 10,000 years’ worth of hydrological data on river levels and flows. The risk of flooding and drought within England is a priority area of focus for the Environment Agency (EA) which strives to protect […]
The Labour Party manifesto doesn’t say much about water, but it does include Putting water companies into ‘special measures’. Although there is no detail on what these measures might be, they could include Giving new powers to regulators to block water bosses’ bonuses for pollution Introducing criminal charges for persistent law-breaking and automatic fines for […]