Bristol Water has launched a strong defence of its AMP6 Business Plan and a swingeing attack on Ofwat’s rejection of the company proposals, saying that the evidence the regulator used to come to its conclusion calls into question both the robustness of Ofwat’s business models and its ongoing failure to substantiate its criticisms.

In an Expert Focus article for Waterbriefing, Suzanne Rab, barrister from Serle Court discusses why Bristol Water’s decision to split its upstream and downstream businesses following Ofwat’s investigation of a dispute with Self-Lay Organisations has raised issues of fundamental importance for the water sector in the run-up to the introduction of further competition in 2017.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has appointed a four-strong panel to conduct the inquiry into Bristol Water’s appeal following its decision to reject Ofwat’s final determination for the upcoming AMP6 investment period.