Ofwat Chairman Jonson Cox is warning UK water companies to get ready for a period of “peak intrusion.”
In an interview published in the Financial Times newspaper yesterday, Cox described the sector as “close to peak intrusion” and said a period of more intense oversight was needed “to get the industry back on an even keel.”
According to the Financial Times, Ofwat intends to to take up an offer put forward by Environment Secretary Michael Gove MP in 2018 to provide the regulator with greater powers to control the sector’s behaviour. As part of this Ofwat will seek more freedom to alter the current terms of company licences, described as excessively “clunky” by Cox.
A report in the world’s leading financial newspaper at the end of January suggested that some of the biggest global infrastructure investors had introduced a “blanket ban” on further investment in UK rail, energy and water projects.
Several influential infrastructure investors had told the Financial Times that it is “highly unlikely” they would make any further investments in the UK, citing the country’s current “very negative” and “hostile” political and regulatory environment.
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.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
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