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 […]
30 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Ivan Bandura Among the winners of Ofwat’s latest innovation competition is a technology that cleans wastewater using water fleas. Daphne Water Solutions, a University of Birmingham spin-out, is one of 20 finalists in the £7.5 million Water Discovery Challenge, each awarded up to £100,000 in seed funding and mentoring to test their […]
23 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Daniele Levis Pelusi The Environment Agency has confirmed that it is bringing criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited, four former employees and three further individuals, following an Administrative Court judgment on 22 July that upheld the Agency’s power to prosecute for offences connected to its regulatory functions. The four former staff, including former chief executive […]
23 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Luis Tosta The consortium of creditors that has effectively controlled Thames Water since its shareholders wrote down their investment in 2024 has put forward a revised rescue proposal aimed at averting nationalisation by the new Andy Burnham administration. Under the plan, ministers would be offered a golden share in the company, described by the […]
16 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Luis Tosta South East Water will pay £30.5 million and submit to independent oversight following years of supply disruption across Kent and Sussex. The package concludes three Ofwat investigations into repeated supply interruptions, customer service failings and the company’s recent credit rating downgrade. It will be funded entirely by shareholders rather than through customer bills. […]
09 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Darren Tolley Severn Trent Water has been found in breach of its wastewater obligations, though Ofwat has decided against a financial penalty. The regulator concluded the company failed in its duties to provide drainage and manage the contents of its sewers, and had historically breached licence requirements to maintain adequate processes and systems. […]
02 Jul 2026
Photo description: View looking down at someone’s hands rinsing a metal cup in a sink. Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash The rollout and its strategic context Water companies across England and Wales are committed to fitting approximately half of all homes with a smart meter by 2030, forming a central component of the sector’s demand […]
