11 Mar 2025
In 2024, it was revealed United Utilities had repeatedly discharged millions of litres of raw sewage illegally into Lake Windermere over a three-year period. Environment Secretary Steve Reed has pledged that he will work toward a future where “only rainwater” enters England’s largest lake. The announcement comes as Reed and water minister Emma Hardy embark […]
06 Mar 2025
Photo by Sang Yun Cho / Pixabay The environmental group River Action has announced they are taking legal action against Ofwat, the water regulator, accusing it of making customers pay twice for services that have not yet been delivered. Water companies are under investigation by Ofwat for breaches to their permits, an inquiry that […]
06 Mar 2025
The Independent Water Commission, launched last October by the UK and Welsh governments, is seeking views in relation to the water sector in England and Wales. A Call for Evidence opened on February 27 and will close on April 23. The public, environment groups, investors and others are invited to share their views on future […]
06 Mar 2025
United Utilities (UU) is set to confirm a reduction in the number and duration of storm overflow operations across the North West last year, when official figures are released by the Environment Agency (EA) later this month. In the Windermere catchment, the company’s annual event duration monitoring (EDM) submission to the EA records a 28% […]
27 Feb 2025
In December, sector regulator Ofwat said it would allow water firms to raise bills by an average of £157, or 36%, over the next five years to help finance investment into crumbling infrastructure. However, now six water firms – Thames Water, Southern Water, Anglian Water, South East Water, Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water – have […]
27 Feb 2025
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent, boosting the powers of water sector regulators to tackle pollution. This new legislation introduces enhanced powers for regulators to hold water companies accountable for their environmental impact, with particular focus on ensuring water company executives are penalised for failures. The Water (Special Measures) Act, which […]
06 Feb 2025
A new research article in Nature highlights “widespread tactics of disinformation, greenwashing and manufacturing doubt…” used by water companies. It argues that “the financial exploitation of water resources in England, alongside long-term degradation of infrastructure and ineffective regulation, raises globally important issues around water security, ethics and environmental stewardship. Much greater scrutiny of both industry […]
08 Jan 2025
Campaign group 38 Degrees is encouraging people to share their views on sewage by participating in a consultation that was covered in this newsletter before Christmas and relates to the Public Bill Committee, which has asked for written evidence on the Water (Special Measures) Bill by Thursday 16 January. Photo credit: Karen Laårk Boshoff […]
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