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According to a new Guardian exclusive, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has been consulting water companies on how to set up the new consumer boards that were intended to hold them to account.

The Guardian said they had obtained documents released under freedom of information laws that showed the CCW had “set up an industry advisory group to get ideas, feedback and advice from water companies”.

While campaigners have reportedly received this information and warned of a “stitch up”, the CCW has categorised this interpretation as “a complete misinterpretation”.

Campaigners dub industry advisory group a “scandal”

The Guardian article highlights a government promise made last year regarding the introduction of “powerful consumer panels”, which were aimed at giving customers in England and Wales a greater say on how their bills are spent and more power to seek redress for the problems they face at the hands of water companies, such as water shortages and sewage backing up into people’s homes. This followed reports by the consumer group that complaints about water companies were rising. It received 80% more complaints in 2025-26 than the previous year, without any increase in resource to address them.

However, the exclusive reveals that the CCW, which is responsible for creating the new “Water Voice” panels, has also “set up an industry advisory group to get ideas, feedback and advice from water companies”.

The Guardian says some campaigners, including prominent water campaigner and former frontman of the Undertones, Feargal Sharkey, viewed the CCW’s industry advisory group as “a stitch-up. If water companies are involved in setting this up customers will not get any redress. The people who are important in all of this are the customers who have been extorted by these companies. The CCW is asking the extorters what should be happening to the victims, this is an outrage and a scandal.”

CCW say the accusations are “a complete misrepresentation”

However, a CCW spokesperson said: “It is a complete misrepresentation to suggest that CCW consulted water companies on how they would like to be held to account. CCW has engaged with water companies to work through the practicalities of how we could ensure their full engagement in the panels. For example, giving them enough lead time to ensure their chief executives were able to attend the accountability sessions and making sure action plans were produced in good time.”

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said: “We know the water industry hasn’t been working in the public interest for far too long. That’s exactly why this government is looking at how to give the public more control and keep bills as low as possible.

“We’re not satisfied with the current system, so we’re also introducing a new, independent and impartial water ombudsman to strengthen customer protection and make sure complaints are taken seriously and resolved quickly. It’s the least the public can expect, and one of our first steps to building a water system that works.”The full Guardian exclusive can be read here: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/07/labour-new-powers-water-companies-consumer-stitch-up