Ofwat PR14 review highlights performance improvements but little or no progress on leakage or river improvements

Ofwat present their findings on the impact the 2014 price review (PR14) had on the sector during the 2015-20 period

In a paper published January 13 on the impact the 2014 price review (PR14) had on the sector during 2015-20, Ofwat suggest that prices and services for customer’s had improved, but there could have been a stronger focus on environmental areas and the long term, including asset health, and there was little or no progress on leakage or river improvements.

During the 2015-20 period leakage decreased by 6%, but most of that was achieved in the final year after the more stretching PR19 15% reduction challenge was announced. Before that leakage had actually increased by 1%.

Bathing waters saw one of the highest improvements in the review, with 73% of bathing waters achieving the ‘excellent’ standard in 2019 up 67% from 2015.

River improvements fared less well, as the Environment Agency’s environmental performance assessment in 2019 highlighted only 16% of water bodies met the ‘Good Ecological Status’ standard. This figure needs to reach 75% by 2027 to meet the Water Framework Directive legal target.

SourceOfwat

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