The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced a new “once-in-a-generation” plan to overhaul the water system in England and Wales.
The announcement, titled the ‘Water White Paper’, outlined that a chief engineer will be appointed to sit inside the new single water regulator for the first time in two decades.
Defra stated that the chief engineer’s job will include conducting hands-on checks of water infrastructure, which the department hopes will end “the days of water firms marking their own homework”.
The new plan released by Defra aims to prevent water shortages before they happen as the regulator is set to introduce an ‘MOT’ approach for water company infrastructure, which will require health checks on pipes, pumps and more.
Water companies that cannot keep up with the standards set out in this new plan could face intervention from the regulator, who will now have powers under Defra’s new performance improvement regime to act fast and fix failures within underperforming water companies.
Additionally, Defra unveiled its plan to roll out smart metering and mandatory efficiency labels on items like dishwashers and washing machines, with these efforts aiming to “deliver savings of over £125 million on water and energy bills over the next decade”.
Defra
Speaking on the new plans, Defra’s Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds said: “These are once-in-a-generation reforms for our water system – tough oversight, real accountability, and no more excuses.
“Water companies will have nowhere to hide from poor performance, customers will get the service they deserve, and investors will see a system built for the future.”
This industry overhaul will also introduce dedicated supervisory teams for each water company, replacing the “current one-size-fits-all approach”.
With reports of water shortages across south east England recently, Defra hopes the provision of stronger inspection powers, including the new regulator’s ability to conduct ‘no notice’ inspections, will help prevent similar water disruptions in the future.
The department also highlighted that water industry planning is currently “inefficient and not cost effective” due to planning being fragmented across more than 20 different processes.
Defra stated it aims to solve this planning issue by bringing councils, water companies, farmers, and developers together to deliver joined-up local plans to tackle river pollution, water resources and housing growth.
The White Paper report also outlined the following new measures for the water industry:
- £11 billion of water company investment has been allocated to improve around 2,500 storm overflows and nearly £5 billion is being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus, a key cause of nutrient pollution in the environment;
- Funding for local catchment partnerships is set to be doubled, aiming to empower local groups to stop pollution before it reaches any waterways;
- A new water ombudsman will be appointed, who will have legally binding powers to resolve customer complaints.
These new measures come as part of a wider £60 billion programme which will help to protect 15,000km of rivers by 2050, according to Defra.
Defra stated that the announcement, which has been backed by £104 billion of private investment over five years, “will fix failing infrastructure, end mismanagement, and build a water system that puts customers first”.
