Speech from Rachel Fletcher – A greener water sector: How can our water companies leave a positive legacy for future generations? Institute of Water Environment Conference, 7 November 2018 Thank you very much for the opportunity to come and speak today on such a vitally important topic and one which is so very close to our hearts at Ofwat. Ofwat is frequently called the “economic regulator” – clearly to distinguish us from other regulators in this sector and perhaps particularly the Environment Agency. So you might be wondering why I am speaking on this platform and you may also be assuming that Ofwat is concerned solely with price and service.
I am very keen to dispel that particular myth here today and to show you just how much the environment flows through everything we do. Setting the scene – water and the environment I’m sure I don’t need to convince any of you of the challenges that climate change poses for our planet. Changing weather patterns, melting ice-caps, rising sea levels, greater GHG emissions – we’re all aware of the stark projections. But let’s for a moment just look at the picture for water.