Ambitious, collaborative agenda needed to deliver for customers and the environment by 2050

• White Paper from industry body Water UK sets out the sector’s vision for an improved water system in England by 2050
• Without urgent action future generations will face significant challenges to maintain water supplies and tackle pressures on water quality and habitats
• The sector is calling for better systems and collaboration with Government to accelerate improvements while protecting household bills

The water sector in England has today set out a series of proposed, ambitious regulatory reforms as part of its Water 2050 White Paper.

With water companies facing unprecedented challenges over the next three decades, the sector is calling for urgent action to avoid future generations facing severe water scarcity, higher bills and environmental targets being missed.

In addition to delivering the current ambitious environment programme, the Water 2050 White Paper proposes a series of positive changes to current regulation to accelerate change and ensure investment achieve maximum impact, including:

• Long-term environmental targets for England including the reduction of carbon emissions and improving all aspects of water quality, ideally underpinned by protection in law such as a new, single “Rivers Act”.
• Ensuring the sector has the world-class green skills to identify, develop and implement innovative solutions.
• Focusing planning decisions on a stronger understanding of ‘best value’ enabling the most beneficial improvements for society to be taken forward.
• Agreeing investment decisions based on a forward-looking approach to assessing costs, impact and risk rather than focusing on historical data.

Read more and download the White Paper here