OFWAT COULD BE SCRAPPED IN NEW WATER INDUSTRY REVIEW – The government looks to raise funds to fix sewage leaks and ageing infrastructure
A new commission is to investigate Britain’s troubled water industry in a bid to tackle sewage pollution, “broken” infrastructure, and toughen up weak regulators.
The new Independent Water Commission will deliver the “largest review of the sector since privatisation”, the UK and Welsh governments said as they unveiled the plans.
Campaigners have warned against trade-offs between attracting investment, keeping bills affordable and protecting the environment.
It comes amid widespread anger at sewage-polluted waterways, water company bonuses and long-term failures to build new assets like reservoirs and sewers.
All 11 wastewater companies in England and Wales have this year been investigated by one of the public regulators, Ofwat, over mismanagement of their networks.
But the commission will also investigate how to reform the regulators themselves, amid concerns they lack resources and bite and have overseen private company profit despite record pollution levels.
It could even consider scrapping Ofwat and reforming the Environment Agency.
