Environment

Greater powers promised for Ofwat

RAPID leader announced

EA's deputy director of water resources has been named as the managing director of the inter-regulatory group RAPID that will work to overcome current barriers to major infrastructure projects in the English water sector.

NI Water warns of environmental and health risks of underinvesting

Continued under-investment could result in environmental or public health risks, warns NI Water as it questions its ability to provide water and wastewater infrastructure for proposed new homes across the country without new funding being added.

EA to amend drought plans to protect chalk streams

Northumbrian and O2 develop immersive AR underground asset tool

Investor confidence remains high under tough regulation

The tough stance adopted by Ofwat has challenged the water sector and reassured its investors, according to S&P Global Ratings. Despite difficult times ahead and lower ratings, water remains a sound longer-term investment, thanks in part to the firm regulatory framework the companies operate in, a senior director told Utility Week.

Thames: 2020 must be the year of the water label

Ofwat: Firms could lose as well as gain from CMA referrals

The director heading up PR19 has defended the regulator's “tough and proactive” final determinations and insisted "we are happy to take any challenges through the CMA process".

SES benchmarks biodiversity

SES Water has set out its ambitious plans to be the first water company to gain biodiversity benchmarking from the Wildlife Trust, at three of its sites

Moodys: PR19 will lead to overspend and operational penalties

Publicly-owned water sector ‘makes economic, social and environmental sense’

Water has become the poster child for Labour’s renationalisation plans so it is little surprise that industry figures have taken a unanimously critical line. However, sector veteran Jacob Tompkins, believes this defence of privatisation has gone too far and that the sector should instead focus on why Labour’s plans have caught the public mood.

Don’t flush away your customer data

Managing disruption due to accidents and leaks is a major challenge for water companies and can make or break a reputation. Responding quickly and effectively is essential, and this is where technology can play a role.

PR19 final determination – is Ofwat for turning?

Water company shareholders may have joined the fight against Ofwat’s proposed price cuts, but it might be too little, too late, says Nigel Hawkins.

UW Manifesto: Water ‘needs an Attenborough’

In the latest of a series of articles exploring specific pledges in Utility Week's Election 2019 Manifesto, we examine why water scarcity has failed to alarm the public to the extent other looming environmental crises have. How can we communicate this urgent water efficiency message and what can the next government do to facilitate this?

H3O: Determination in regulation

Three decades of regulation and price reviews has brought the sector to a point where companies feel squeezed more than ever. Is the regulator tightening its grip after showing leniency for too long? Industry sources talk to Utility Week about how this point was reached.