The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has set out how it estimated that nationalising the water industry would cost approximately £100 billion.
A highly critical new report by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is warning that a failing water sector in which “water companies increasingly look like financial institutions rather than businesses servicing monopolised critical infrastructure” is in need of “root and branch reform”.
A new report by the NI Fiscal Council is warning of a growing crisis in the provision of water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland and calling for more funding for NI Water.
David Black, Chief Executive of water sector regulator Ofwat, has described Thames Water as a company with “deep-rooted problems of persistent poor performance and too much debt.”
The water industry must bear some of the responsibility for where we are today, according to James Heath, Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission. And while investment has increased since privatisation, it has not increased enough.
The Guardian newspaper has published a detailed analysis of the water companies in England which is calling into question the fairness of England’s privatised water model and referring to England’s water as “the world’s piggy bank.”
Jonson Cox, Chair of water sector regulator Ofwat has told the investment community that achieving “net zero” in the water sector by 2030 will need “meaningful investor support and funding” in AMP7.
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell has said the process of renationalising the water sector would begin during the first 100 days of a Labour government.
A major new international survey has revealed that the satisfaction rating for Great Britain’s water and sewerage services is the second highest in the world.
The UK water sector has moved swiftly to rebut Labour Party criticism of private ownership and launch a forceful and detailed defence of the benefits of privatisation in response to plans outlined in the Labour Party Manifesto published today.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.