Ofwat has said it will “carefully consider the thoughts of the PAC”, following publication of the House Of Commons Public Accounts Committee report which said over-estimating by the water regulator had led to the water companies making at least £1.2 billion in windfall gains over the last five years.

A report by the influential House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has strongly criticised Ofwat for consistently over-estimating water companies’ costs which led to £1.2 billion in windfall gains -  saying “these and other concerns..represent significant and pressing challenges for Ofwat.”

Professor Dieter Helm of Oxford University, Chair of the Natural Capital Committee and a key government adviser, has called for a radical rethink on the structure and funding of UK flood defence provision.

Ofwat has launched a new consultation on changes to Instruments of Appointment and Water Supply Licences for the opening of the non-household retail market in  2017.

A joint venture between Atkins and Arup has been appointed to a consultancy contract  to deliver a range of design and engineering services for BMB, the joint venture between BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty appointed by Tideway to deliver the West section of London’s new ‘super sewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

The widespread nature of the December floods is likely to result in an increase in spending on flood defences and a reassessment of where money is spent, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch is also warning that failure to keep up flood defence spending could lead to higher-than-expected claims for the UK's Flood Re scheme.

Ahead of next month’s World Water-Tech Investment Summit in London , Mark LeChevallier, Director of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship of American Water highlights the key challenges facing water and wastewater services in the US today in an interview with World Water-Tech.