LATEST NEWSGovernment, Policy & Regulation

Government, Policy & Regulation

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

18 July, 2025

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...

Infrastructure Pipeline kicks off new era of infrastructure delivery

18 July, 2025

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has published details of hundreds of live UK infrastructure projects, with the aim of giving construction...

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

18 July, 2025

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...

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

18 July, 2025

SEPA’s weekly Water Scarcity Report shows that eight river catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity in Scotland – the Spey, Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee...

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

17 July, 2025

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...

Environment Agency declares drought status for West Midlands and East Midlands

17 July, 2025

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...

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

17 July, 2025

Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), delivered a keynote speech this week in Westminster, addressing priorities for environmental monitoring...

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

17 July, 2025

Ofwat has launched a consultation setting out its latest thinking on climate change and proposed climate change principles. The aim is to provide a...

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

16 July, 2025

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee met with Thames Water bosses yesterday to pose a series of questions to Sir Adrian Montague (Chair),...

Government and water companies agree unprecedented skills commitments

16 July, 2025

Water companies in England and the UK Government have agreed to an unprecedented series of actions to enable a huge increase in employment and...

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

16 July, 2025

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...

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

16 July, 2025

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...

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

16 July, 2025

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...

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

15 July, 2025

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

15 July, 2025

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

15 July, 2025

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

14 July, 2025

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

14 July, 2025

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

14 July, 2025

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

11 July, 2025

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

11 July, 2025

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

11 July, 2025

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

10 July, 2025

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

9 July, 2025

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

9 July, 2025

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

8 July, 2025

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

8 July, 2025

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

8 July, 2025

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

7 July, 2025

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

4 July, 2025

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

4 July, 2025

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

3 July, 2025

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

2 July, 2025

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

2 July, 2025

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

2 July, 2025

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

2 July, 2025

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

2 July, 2025

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

1 July, 2025

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

27 June, 2025

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

27 June, 2025

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

26 June, 2025

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...