The UK Government has announced the launch of Dreampipe, a major £1. 2 million multi-year innovation prize which is aiming to stem the amount of water lost in developing countries through leakage, meter inaccuracies and unauthorized use.

Fitch Ratings is warning that UK water sector reforms proposed in December would weaken the credit profiles of regulated utilities by increasing business risk – and the sector faces a rising risk of political intervention.

Moody's Investors Service is warning that Ofwat’s proposed changes in its approach to the upcoming PR19 Price Review  - Water 2020 - would, if implemented,  be "credit negative" for the water sector.

Water UK has warned the Government and water sector regulator Ofwat not to act in ways which might undermine the confidence of investors, following the publication yesterday  of a report by the Public Accounts Accounts Committee which was highly critical of Ofwat.

Utilities software specialists, Gentrack, have warned businesses are risking their financial futures if they fail to put systems in place to protect themselves against errors by the new water industry Market Operator when the retail market opens in April 2017.