The Department for Business and Trade has said it wants to stimulate competition within the water sector through streamlined regulation as well as delegating some of Ofwat's powers around the non-domestic market.
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Water treatment
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Environmental regulation in Wales came under fire from politicians at a select committee hearing where witnesses described a cultural aversion to enforcement at Natural Resources Wales. The organisation's CEO said prosecution indicated regulation had failed and did not benefit the environment.
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The government is considering fundamental changes to the regulatory appeals process for water companies. This includes the possibility of moving away from a complete redetermination of company business plan submissions in favour of appealing specific aspects - to mirror the regime for energy.
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Latest in Water treatment
South West Water’s £125 million plans to deliver two desalination plants have been pushed back to next year. Speaking to Utility Week, South West Water chief executive Susan Davy confirmed that the plants would not be delivered this year as previously slated. Davy was speaking after South West's parent company Pennon announced an 85% drop in half-year pre-tax profits.
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Ofwat's chair and chief executive both told a House of Commons committee that the proposed £100 million water efficiency fund would not be sufficient to stop people using as much water. Answering questions on resilience of supplies, Black said getting major infrastructure projects off the ground was a problem, but something Ofwat and other stakeholders are focused on.
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Colum Goodchild, director of asset strategy at Aqua Consultants, argues water companies must do more with less and work closely with local communities and other stakeholders to manage assets effectively, tackle environmental issues, and rebuild faith in the sector.
Opinion
South East Water is subject to an Ofwat investigation to assess whether it failed to develop and maintain an efficient water supply system. The heatwave followed by freezing temperatures in the winter left customers with low or no pressure and caused the company to have the sector's worst performance for interruptions.
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A Devonshire council is pushing to have South West Water excluded as a consultee on planning applications within its jurisdiction. A motion, approved by Torridge District Council, calls on central government to block South West Water from future consultations on the grounds that the company does not adequately engage in the process. Instead, the council is calling for an independent organisation to be appointed to oversee how water supplies and wastewater networks would be impacted by new developments.
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Wessex have received the green light for a £100 million expansion to its Avonmouth treatment plant in Bristol after a five-year consultation to make the site fit for purpose as the population grows. The company said expanding the works' capacity will cut the number of storm overflows triggered during heavy rainfall
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Join our forthcoming webinar to learn about the latest tools and techniques for upgrading and maintaining pipework and meeting sustainability targets as part of adaptation to climate change.
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Thames Water should have been better prepared for disruption caused by Storm Ciaran, CCW has said, after thousands of homes were left without water. More than a dozen schools were unable to open on Monday (6 November) with an estimated 12,000 homes cut off due to ongoing problems with Thames' Shalford treatment centre.
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Water suppliers fear the public storm around PFAS could match that seen for CSOs. Lucinda Dann explores the industry’s key concerns around this emerging contaminant.
Analysis
Anglian Water has proposed to spend more than £9 billion over the next asset management period – an increase of more than two thirds when compared to £5.3 billion of total expenditure allowed by Ofwat in its final determinations for PR19. Under its PR24 business plan for 2025 to 2030, the company said its expenditure on the environment would more than double to around £4 billion.
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Despite low customer support in decarbonising water assets, the sector has proposed spending £1.3 billion in the next asset management period (AMP8) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as it works towards operational net zero in 2030 and true net zero by 2050. Utility Week unpicks each company's PR24 business plan to see where the proposed investment will be spent.
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United Utilities has proposed the highest spending on tackling combined sewer overflows for the next investment period as it eyes ambitious improvements to its high volume of combined networks. The company's plan balances affordability support with high investment to ensure struggling households get help.
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