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 […]
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 […]
