01 Oct 2026
Photo description: A view over Plymouth Hoe from Plymouth Sound, UK. Photo by Patrick Owen PR on Unsplash. South West Water was fined £7,867,733 at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 29 September in a case brought by the Environment Agency. The offences took place in Devon and Cornwall between January 2015 and July 2021. The […]
24 Sep 2026
Image description: A person casting a vote in a box. Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at Ofwat are set to ballot on whether to strike over the lack of clarity about their future job security. It has been over a year since Defra endorsed […]
17 Sep 2026
Image description: A judge’s gavel on a wooden table. Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash The former chief executive of Southern Water has appeared in court charged with conspiracy to defraud, facing allegations water quality tests were manipulated to avoid millions of pounds in penalties. The BBC reports that Matthew Wright, 60, who denies […]
10 Sep 2026
Image description: Ripples and bubbles within a water medium. Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash The seventh round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge (‘Breakthrough 7’), launched by Ofwat on Monday 7 September, will make up to £50 million available to highly collaborative water-sector innovations, aiming to deliver benefits for customers, communities and the […]
27 Aug 2026
Image description: Blue and white Thames Water logo on side of van A board in waiting The consortium of creditors pursuing a rescue bid for Thames Water has announced four proposed non-executive directors who would take control of the company’s board if its acquisition and recapitalisation plan is approved. London & Valley Water (L&VW), […]
25 Aug 2026
Photo by Annie Spratt The Environment Agency issued bathing warnings for three Isle of Wight beaches this week after storm overflows released sewage-contaminated water following heavy rain, reviving long-running concerns about the resilience of the island’s sewer network. The agency advised against swimming at Gurnard, Shanklin and Bembridge on Wednesday 19 August, with Southern Water’s own Rivers and Sea Watch service listing around 15 further locations where an “outfall release within the last 24 hours” may have affected water quality. Multiple […]
13 Aug 2026
Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash Millions of households in England and Wales are due to face a further hike in bills after water companies were given provisional watchdog approval to spend £3.4bn more than previously agreed, including to support new homes and datacentres. The newly announced spending is in addition to the £104bn programme […]
05 Aug 2026
Photo credit: Scott Graham Ofwat has opened a consultation on how the charges paid by new water suppliers to established companies are set out, part of an effort to make the figures clearer and more consistent. The proposals would add a formal annex to Ofwat’s bulk charging rules, setting standard ways for incumbent companies […]
