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Government, Policy & Regulation

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...

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...

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...

UK and France pledge joint funding for international biodiversity

Following the UK-France Summit and the State Visit of President Macron, the UK and France have committed joint financial support for the International Advisory...

CRU publishes Strategic Plan 2025–2027

Ireland's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has published its Strategic Plan for the period 2025-27. The CRU says the plan, published Friday 11 July...

Kimmins increases funding to help make vulnerable homes more flood resistant

Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced an increase in the grant funding threshold for the Homeowner Flood Protection Grant Scheme (HFPGS). Following a...

Four bills that could have an impact on the water and wastewater industry scheduled for second reading in Parliament today

Four bills that could have an impact on the water and wastewater industry are scheduled for their second reading in Parliament today (11 July...

OEP highlights the critical role of inspections in environmental regulation in England

A new report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) identifies the crucial role inspections must play in environmental regulation in England and calls...

DAERA launches new dashboard to track bathing water quality across Northern Ireland

A new interactive Bathing Water Quality Dashboard to help the public make informed decisions about where and when to swim across Northern Ireland’s 33...

Ofwat proposes £24 million enforcement package on South West Water for failures in managing its wastewater treatment works and network

Ofwat has today (10 July 2025) proposed a £24m enforcement package following its findings that South West Water has failed to meet it legal...

Thames Water recalled to EFRA Committee following disclosures and new financial concerns

Thames Water bosses have been recalled by the EFRA Committee to answer additional questions following recent disclosures and new financial concerns. The EFRA Committee will...

Water Minister & Environment Agency to face Committee questions on flood risk

The Environmental Audit Committee will wrap up its inquiry into flood resilience in England on Wednesday 9 July, by hearing from the Environment Agency...

Largest ever budget for tackling water pollution handed to the Environment Agency

The largest ever budget for tackling water pollution has been handed to the country’s water watchdog, as part of the government’s plan to deliver...

Environment Agency sets out strategy for next 5 years and beyond following £189m boost to funding

The Environment Agency (EA) has today (8 July 2025) set out its strategy for the next five years and beyond. The strategy 'EA2030 change for...

Kimmins welcomes additional funding which will unlock over 3000 new wastewater connections in Derry, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has secured £11million in additional funding to help unlock wastewater capacity across the north of Northern Ireland. Over 3000...

Consultations launched by DAERA on new Fisheries and Water Environment Bill as well as Fourth Cycle River Basin Management Plan

Public consultations have been launched by Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on the new Fisheries and Water Environment Bill...

Rivers, Streams and Lakes (Protected Status) Bill scheduled for second reading in Parliament today

A Bill to make provision for the designation of rivers, streams and lakes as having protected status is scheduled for a second reading in...

Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins says NI Water must operate within its budget allocation

Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has said NI Water must operate within its budget allocation and do the best it can with available...

EPA publishes full monitoring network results of nitrogen and phosphorus levels in Irish waters for 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the full monitoring network results of the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in Irish waters in 2024. The Water...

Tenfold increase for customer compensation when they’ve been failed by water companies

The UK government has announced that from today (2 July 2025), water companies will increase compensation payments to customers up to tenfold. Customers will automatically...

Funding for Environment Agency farm inspections to double as part of a major boost to cut agricultural pollution

The government has announced that funding for Environment Agency farm inspections is doubling as part of a wider drive to help farmers slash agricultural...

Guidance review on Scotland’s storm overflows brought forward after ESS request

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) says it welcomes a commitment by the Scottish Government to review existing guidance on the definition of the exceptional circumstances...

EPA says Ireland’s drinking water supplies must become more resilient

Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies Report 2024, which shows that although over 99.8 per cent...

Company donates £150,000 to local rivers trust after polluting a Cardiff river

A company responsible for polluting Llanishen Brook and Roath Park Lake in Cardiff has agreed to donate £150,000 to a local environmental charity, following...

Ofwat steps in after ConservAqua found to be in breach of Retail Exit Code

Surrey based water retailer, ConservAqua has been found by Ofwat to be in breach of the Retail Exit Code (REC). The REC is a key...

UK government gathers business and environment leaders in support of UN nature agreement

The UK brought together foreign governments, Indigenous leaders, as well as leaders from business and finance representing trillions of pounds, to increase the flows...

Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator becomes first UK regulator to partner with Plain Numbers

The Utility Regulator has announced that it has become the first regulator in the UK to partner with numbers-first communications organisation, Plain Numbers.  The partnership...

Climate Change Committee downgrades water industry in its first assessment of the new Government’s progress on reducing emissions

The Climate Change Committee had downgraded the water industry's ability to reduce emissions in its first assessment of the new Government’s progress on reducing...

Potato farmer prosecuted by Environment Agency for causing silt, soil and potatoes to seriously pollute a tributary of the River Tone in Somerset

A Taunton potato farmer has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency for causing silt, soil and potatoes to escape from a field and seriously...

River Action granted permission to proceed with legal challenge against Ofwat

Environmental charity River Action has been granted permission by the High Court to proceed with a legal challenge against the water regulator, Ofwat. River Action...

Pig farmer prosecuted for allowing slurry to enter surface water drains and nearby stream

A Taunton pig farmer has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency for allowing slurry to escape from an illegally constructed slurry lagoon causing pollution...

Two new Water (Special Measures) Act measures come into force this week

Two new legal requirements have come into force this week as part of the Water (Special Measures) Act, which received Royal Assent earlier this...

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water sentenced for polluting protected environment

Following a successful prosecution brought by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has been fined £90,000 for recurring pollution incidents on the...

Thames Water may be required to restate its financial accounts for the year ended March 2024

According to a report by the Financial Times on Friday, Thames Water may be required to restate its financial accounts for the year ended...

DWI issues Severn Trent Water with warning letter following the supply of water with abnormal taste and odour

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) issued Severn Trent Water with a warning letter on Friday (20 June 2025), following the supply of water from...

Government publishes decade long Infrastructure Strategy to transform how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered

The Government has published a 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy which it says will deliver on its growth mission, as part of the Plan for...

2nd reading of the Chalk Streams Bill is due in Parliament today

A 2nd reading of the Chalk Streams Bill is due in Parliament today (20 June, 2025). The Private Members’ Bill was introduced by Liberal Democrat...

Thames Water’s Oxfordshire reservoir secures nationally significant infrastructure status

Thames Water has secured Government backing to progress a planning application for its 150 billion litre (150 Mm3) reservoir, situated near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. Environment Secretary,...

Despite rain and thunderstorms in the last few days Scotland’s rivers are still under stress

Despite rain and thunderstorms in the last few days, large parts of Scotland remain at some level of water scarcity. With summer just beginning,...

Government to invest over £100m in water company fines to local environmental projects

The Government has announced it will invest water company fines into local projects across the country to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.  Over...

Government updates national standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems for the first time in a decade

In a move to tackle water pollution and protect communities from flooding, the government is updating the national standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)...

Ofwat proposes additional security for PR24 schemes above £100m

Ofwat has launched a consultation setting out its proposed approach for additional scrutiny for large schemes during the 2025-30 control period. Large schemes are those...

Independent panel tasked with reviewing environmental governance in Northern Ireland publishes interim report

An independent panel tasked with reviewing environmental governance in Northern Ireland has published its interim report. The interim report from the panel, which was appointed...

RAPID action on major water infrastructure is securing supply for future generations

To address the forecast water shortfall of 5 billion litres per day by 2055 as outlined in the EA’s National Framework for Water Resources...

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell visits Hampshire coast

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell visited the Hampshire coast on 16 June 2025 to review draft proposals for protecting a 15km stretch of coastline...

Almost £8 billion to be invested in flood defences over the next decade

The largest flooding programme in history will be announced by government this week, with a record £7.9 billion committed over ten years to protect...

EFRA Committee to question Sir Jon Cunliffe on reform of water sector today

The Chair of the Independent Water Commission, Sir Jon Cunliffe, will be questioned by Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in an evidence session...

Ofwat proposes new regulatory basis to drive companies to better understand and improve their asset management maturity

To extract the most value out of their assets, Ofwat wants to encourage water companies to improve their approaches to strategic planning, decision making...

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