Failing to adhere to a condition of its licence cost Scottish Water £2,500 at Stirling Sheriff Court on Tuesday 2 September 2008.

The House of Commons Public Accounts committee has criticised Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for failures in its report on how Defra manages its expenditure, concluding that policy and operational delivery within the Department and its delivery bodies have been adversely affected by financial management failings.

The Government has unveiled a new strategy for the UK’s manufacturing sector – ‘New Challenges, New Opportunities’ – to help UK firms take advantage of changing global trends in manufacturing.

Defra has published regulations extending the areas of England designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) from 55% to around 70% - reflecting the Government's decision to continue designating the zones on a selective basis rather than adopt the whole territory approach of some Member States.

According to a report on the BBC news website last night, the Environment Agency has told Thames Water to revise "substantial parts" of its plans for a new reservoir in Oxfordshire.

On Wednesday 27 August 2008, FormFin Limited of  Merse Road, Redditch pleaded guilty at Redditch Magistrates Court to polluting the Blacksoils Brook and River Arrow.

Ofwat has published the conclusions arising from its consultation earlier this year on future strategy for customer charges for water and sewerage services.

South West Water has been ordered to pay £11,875 in fines and costs after sewage overflowed from a North Devon pumping station into a tributary of the River Taw. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.