Water UK , the body which represents UK water and wastewater service suppliers at national and European level, has announced the publication of an independent assessment of the prospects for water competition in the United Kingdom.
Carried out by the Oxford-based Regulatory Policy Institute under its Director, Professor George Yarrow, the study has been sponsored by Water UK as an informed and objective contribution to the present lively policy debate on water competition.
The report addresses a range of issues including:
• the potential for competition to help individuals and society value water more as a commodity whose scarcity value should be better recognised
• the role that better information about the value of water might play in helping government take forward its agenda on climate change
• the management of water resources and its influence on the valuation of water
• the need for competition rules tailored to the circumstances of the water industry
• the application of these rules to the parts of the water supply chain that deal with water resources and treatment. Prospects for competition in the provision of water services is available in full and executive summary form from the www.rpieurope.org. Water competition is presently the subject of reviews both by Defra and Ofwat
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.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.