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News is updated every weekday, with a news archive containing over 5000 articles.

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July's edition is out now, and August's edition will hit desks and inboxes on 28/07/25.

LATEST NEWS

New report finds systemic water company failure and underperformance

The number of water company pollution incidents across England rose sharply last year, a new report from the Environment Agency (EA) has found. The Water and sewerage companies in England: pollution incident report for 2016 to 2024 shows consistently poor performance...

NRW steps up regulatory action as water company fails to curb sewage pollution incidents

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water must make urgent and fundamental changes to its operations, according to regulator Natural Resources Wales (NRW), as the company records the highest number of sewage pollution incidents in ten years. New data released today shows that...

Public Accounts Committee says the failing water sector has been left to flounder as piecemeal regulators appear to be “missing in action”

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused water industry regulators of being "missing in action". According to the PAC, "the water system has been left to sink for too long, with hikes in customer bills now required to update and...

Infrastructure Pipeline kicks off new era of infrastructure delivery

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has published details of hundreds of live UK infrastructure projects, with the aim of giving construction firms the certainty and confidence they need to invest in major projects. The government said this...

Government announces proposed amendments to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Yesterday the Government announced proposed amendments to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is currently at the Lords Committee Stage. The changes are designed to address concerns from conservationists, environmental experts, and the Office for Environmental Protection...

Extension to the term of NISTA’s Expert Advisory Council chair

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones has extended the appointment of Sir John Armitt as the Chair of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority’s (NISTA) Expert Advisory Council (EAC). His appointment has been extended for six months...

Steve Reed makes two new appointments and two re-appointments to Board of the Office for Environmental Protection

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has confirmed the appointments Professor Elizabeth Fisher and Caroline May as Non-Executive Directors of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The terms of two current Board members, Paul Leinster...

Portsmouth Water awards Cappagh AMP8 Infrastructure and Smart Water Meter Installation contracts

Portsmouth Water has announced the award of two AMP8 Infrastructure and Smart Water Meter Installation contracts to Cappagh, following a competitive tender process. Cappagh will deliver the requirements for the critical smart water meter installation and commissioning programme and infrastructure...

Anglian Water issues update on water resources situation, as more water companies announce hosepipe bans

Following the driest spring in over 100 years and the news of more hosepipe bans being announced in other areas of the country, Anglian Water has issued an update on the situation in the East of England. The company said...

Water scarcity intensifies across eastern Scotland as several areas approach critical thresholds

SEPA’s weekly Water Scarcity Report shows that eight river catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity in Scotland – the Spey, Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Esk, Firth of Tay and Tyne (Lothian). The Findhorn, Firth of Forth and Helmsdale catchments...

Why AMP8 success depends on smarter supply chain planning

As the UK water sector prepares for the unprecedented scale and ambition of AMP8, the industry faces a pivotal moment. The focus must shift from simply controlling costs to fundamentally rethinking planning, collaboration, and decision-making across the supply chain. With...

Resilience strategy requires significant stakeholder collaboration

Michael Bjorn, VP & Head of Business Unit High Pressure Pumps, Danfoss, shares his thoughts on the recently announced EU Water Resilience Strategy. In this video he discusses with Water Magazine's Editor Phil Alsop, the importance of water to industry...

Steve Reed sets up Water Delivery Taskforce to ensure water companies complete their planned investments on time and on budget

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, has announced the setting up of a "Water Delivery Taskforce". Speaking at Water UK's Skills Summit, held in Westminster on 15 July 2025, Mr Reed said the aim of...

Environment Agency declares drought status for West Midlands and East Midlands

The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the West Midlands and East Midlands following the driest spring in 132 years.  The Environment Agency announced the change in status following declining river flows and groundwater levels with some river flows...

OEP Chair urges urgent action as Government falls behind on environmental targets

Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), delivered a keynote speech this week in Westminster, addressing priorities for environmental monitoring and accountability. Speaking at Westminster Forum's 'Next steps for protecting and managing England's natural capital'...

Southern Water next to issue hosepipe ban following driest spring in over 100 years

Households across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are being asked by Southern Water to ditch their hosepipes this week, as a Temporary Use Ban – commonly known as a hosepipe ban, comes into effect. Although the ban will be...

Aqua Consultants acquires urban drainage modelling consultancy RES Environmental

Aqua Consultants, a leading environmental consultancy provider, part of the Adler & Allan group, has acquired urban drainage modelling consultancy, RES Environmental, to further enhance its ability to tackle environmental challenges such as reducing pollution and managing the effects...

Business customers raise fewer complaints about water retailers, according to new report

Fewer business customers had cause to complain to their water retailer or escalate concerns to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), according to a new report. Figures released by CCW in its annual Business Customer Complaints Report reveal that complaints...

Ofwat launches consultation to help guide water company responses to climate change

Ofwat has launched a consultation setting out its latest thinking on climate change and proposed climate change principles. The aim is to provide a clear, flexible framework to guide water companies’ responses to climate change. The discussion paper has been...

Successful two-year Turnaround Plan concludes for Southern Water

Southern Water has announced its two-year intensive Turnaround Plan has come to an end, which the company says has brought significant reductions in pollution, leaks, and complaints. Southern Water's recently published Final Update Report, highlights how the company has delivered...

Yorkshire Water starts major project to renew 43km of mains in Sheffield

Yorkshire Water has started phase one of a project to renew 43km of water mains across Sheffield over the next two years. Contract partner Sapphire Utilities Solutions (SUS) will begin the project to replace 388m of old pipes to improve...

EFRA Committee pulls no punches in latest questioning of Thames Water bosses

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee met with Thames Water bosses yesterday to pose a series of questions to Sir Adrian Montague (Chair), Chris Weston (CEO), and Ian Pearson (Chair, Remuneration Committee) regarding the company's recent struggles. Questions initially...

Government and water companies agree unprecedented skills commitments

Water companies in England and the UK Government have agreed to an unprecedented series of actions to enable a huge increase in employment and a boost to the skills of the water industry workforce. These commitments come as the water...

National Drought Group steps up operational response as more areas of country move into drought

The National Drought Group (NDG) met yesterday (15 July) as a drought is declared in the West and East Midlands. Dry weather continues to impact water resources across England requiring water companies to take action to manage demand with the...

CRU increases all existing 2024 water and wastewater tariff rates in the Non-Domestic Tariff Framework in Ireland by 9.8%

Ireland's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)  has taken the decision to increase all existing 2024 water and wastewater tariff rates in the Non-Domestic Tariff Framework by 9.8%. The CRU said the increase would ensure the recovery of costs of...

Secretary of State approves Southern Water’s request for its Thames to Southern Transfer project to be treated as nationally significant

The Secretary of State, Steve Reed, has concluded that Southern Water's proposed Thames to Southern Transfer (T2ST) is of national significance, and has approved the request for the project is to be treated as nationally significant for which development...

West Sussex wastewater works gets £21m upgrade to support new homes

A multi-million pound upgrade of a West Sussex wastewater treatment works to support the local environment and new homes has been completed. The £21 million project has increased capacity at the Pagham site, by adding a series of giant concrete...

Barhale announces two new director appointments

Civil engineering, infrastructure and tunnelling specialist Barhale has announced the appointment of James Haddon in a newly created role of Director of Low Carbon Solutions and Joe Solomon as Regional Director (Eastern). Director of Low Carbon Solutions is a new...

Affinity Water launches market engagement on the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme

Affinity Water has issued a Preliminary Market Engagement notice (PME notice) UK2 to inform potential suppliers and investors about the next stage of its market engagement programme for the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme, which will support the development...

United Utilities investing £380m to upgrade water mains across the region 

As part of its largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West, United Utilities is set to upgrade more than 925km of water mains across the region. In the next five years, the company is investing more...

Thames Water publishes annual results showing a loss before tax of £1.647bn

Thames Water Utilities Limited has published its annual results for the year to 31 March 2025 showing a pre-tax loss of £1,647 million. The company said it had a number of exceptional costs, broken down as follows: £1,271 million...

Environment Agency prosecutes Welsh Water for breaking conditions of an environmental permit at a sewage treatment works 7 times in 5 months

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted Welsh Water for breaking conditions of an environmental permit at a Herefordshire sewage treatment works 7 times in a 5 month period. At Kidderminster Magistrates Court on 11 July 2025, Welsh Water was fined...

Ofwat launches consultation on proposed changes to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme for companies whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales

Ofwat has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) for companies whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales. The GSS sets out the minimum standards of service that customers should receive, and the minimum...

Spring announces Peter Perry as new chair

Spring, the Innovation Centre of Excellence for the UK and Ireland water sector, has announced the appointment of Peter Perry as its new chair, marking the start of a new chapter for the organisation.    Perry, outgoing chief executive of Dŵr...

Thames Water announces hosepipe ban across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire

Thames Water has confirmed that a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) will come into effect across a large part of the Thames Valley at 00.01 BST on Tuesday 22 July 2025. After the driest spring in over a century and England’s...

EA concludes that a permanent flood scheme for Bradford-on-Avon is currently unviable

The Environment Agency, in partnership with Wiltshire Council, Bradford-on-Avon Town Council and Wessex Water, has concluded that a permanent flood scheme for Bradford-on-Avon is currently unviable.  A review of a proposed flood scheme from 2017, which involved low walls and...

Uisce Eireann’s Greater Dublin Drainage Project gets the green light to proceed to construction

Uisce Éireann has welcomed the planning approval of the Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) Project by An Coimisiún Pleanála. The project, servicing north Dublin and parts of Meath and Kildare, will provide wastewater treatment for the equivalent of half a million...

Thames Water begins supplier engagement to start delivering £840million worth of vital projects as part of its AMP 8 (2025-2030) investment plans 

Thames Water has taken a major step forward in its ambitious £840 million project to improve nine water and sewage sites as part of its record investment plans over the next five years (2025-2030).   The UK's largest water company has...

Top 100 apprenticeship employers 2025 recognition for United Utilities

United Utilities has been recognised as one of the UK’s best employers for apprentices. The North West water and wastewater company ranked 88th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and is the only utilities company to make the...

CGI extends partnership with MOSL to deliver future-ready Smart Meter Read Hub

CGI, an IT and business consulting services firm, is partnering with Market Operator Services Ltd. (MOSL), the operator of England and Wales’s business water retail market, to develop a Smart Meter Read Hub. This initiative follows a request from...

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