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Ofwat has announced the funding of the water Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (water RAPID) team, which will cover strategic water transfers and joint infrastructure projects.

The water RAPID team will bring together staff from Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate into a single group.

It will help create a “responsive regulatory regime” to address barriers to collaboration as set out in a joint letter from Defra, the Environment Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and Ofwat in August 2018.

The team will complement the existing water resource planning companies and regional groups are carrying out.

And it will also make sure options are tested and available to meet the needs identified in the National Framework for water resource planning, led by the Environment Agency.

“Ofwat is delighted to collaborate with other water sector regulators in setting up the water RAPID team,” said Ofwat chief executive, Rachel Fletcher.

“It will be a vital element to support the work underway across the whole sector in making sure future consumers have resilient water supplies at an affordable price while enhancing the environment.”

The Environment Agency chief executive, Sir James Bevan added: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Ofwat and other regulators to help ensure our water supply is sustainable for future generations.

“The Environment Agency is leading the development of a national framework for water resources, which will identify water needs nationally and regionally. The new team will make sure that the projects required to meet those needs can be implemented, helping to build resilience into our water supplies.”