07 Aug 2024

Ofwat has proposed that three water companies will be fined a total of £168m for failing to manage their wastewater treatment works and networks, as part of the first batch of outcomes from its biggest ever investigation. The penalties proposed for consultation will see Thames Water fined £104m, Yorkshire Water fined £47m and Northumbrian Water […]

07 Aug 2024

Ofwat has published the outputs of its sessions for customers on the PR24 draft determinations. The meetings were hosted by Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water – one for England and one for Wales – and allowed customers and other stakeholders to quiz the regulator’s top team about the draft price and service decisions […]

17 Jul 2024

Last week’s Ofwat announcement on draft determinations for 2025-2030 business plans was covered in Water News. The headlines are that the £96bn proposed programme has been reduced by nearly 10% to £88bn, and allowable bill increases have been reduced by 33%. In slightly more detail, there is £10bn to reduce storm overflows, £1.4bn of which […]

17 Jul 2024

All 11 water and wastewater companies in England and Wales are now under scrutiny over sewage spills, after the regulator said it was expanding its investigation. This week, Ofwat opened enforcement cases into four more firms – Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities – as part of its probe into […]

11 Jul 2024

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 […]

19 Jun 2024

Ofwat has published an updated timetable and key milestones for its 2024 price determination (PR24), after the general election necessitated a delay due to purdah rules. The regulator said it would endeavour to issue final determinations on 19 December, but that it was exploring the option of extending this until 31 January at the latest. […]

29 May 2024

Following the government’s decision to call a general election for 4 July, Ofwat has delayed its draft determinations, due to be published on 12 June, until 11 July. Read Ofwat’s Information Notice Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Ofwat is poised to refuse most water companies’ requests to ratchet up consumer bills, with some getting as […]

22 May 2024

Ofwat has announced the latest winners of Breakthrough Challenge innovation funding. The 17 winning projects will share £40mn, are led by water companies and seek to address strategic challenges including on climate change, leakage and operations. The winners include: Developing a market-based approach to deliver SuDS through street works Local Regeneration of Granular Activated Carbon […]