A new report published today by the Blueprint for Water coalition analysing proposed environmental measures in the water companies' AMP6 Business Plans reveals “a yawning gap” between the best and worst performers in England and Wales.

The Blueprint for Water coalition, which includes WWF-UK, RSPB and the Marine Conservation Society, says water companies need to show leadership on the environment and open their industry to scrutiny, to prove they are meeting their customers’ demands to look after rivers, streams and beaches.

The report has rated the AMP6 five-year plans from the 21 water companies in England and Wales using a traffic light system across 10 environmental areas: from plans to tackle damage from water extraction, to those stopping raw sewage discharge into rivers and onto beaches.

According to Blueprint for PR14 - An environmental assessment of water company plans only three companies’ plans show real ambition but no company is planning what the coalition regards to be ‘good’ progress across all 10 of the areas.

Affinity Water, United Utilities and Wessex Water are the three companies top-ranked whose plans include good progress across 90% of areas. Bottom of the ranking are the following six companies Bournemouth, Cambridge, South Staffs, Essex and Suffolk, Dee Valley and Sutton and East Surrey Water). The report says their plans include good progress in less than a third of areas.

The coalition says that just a fifth have plans that make good progress to price water fairly through use of water meters and tariffs to protect lower income households and encourage water efficiency. According to the report, less than half of companies (45%) include good plans to keep rivers flowing by reducing damaging abstraction licences and managing their operations to minimise the water they take from the most environmentally vulnerable sources. Earlier this months the water companies collectively flagged up their concerns about Defra proposals to reform the current abstraction licence regime.

However, 60% are described as making sufficient progress with plans to deal with surface-water flooding, including making use of Sustainable Drainage Systems, although less than two thirds (60%) are making sufficient plans to tackle water waste (including through encouraging water efficiency and tackling leakage).

Janina Gray, Head of Science & Environmental Policy at the Salmon & Trout Association, and Chair of the Blueprint for Water, said:

‘Water companies consulted widely in preparing their business plans, and the public gave them a resounding message that – despite the economic climate – they do not want their water providers to pollute or damage the environment. Water companies are monopolies: customers can’t change supplier so it is really important that we shine a light on what’s planned so customers can make sure that they are getting what they asked for.

‘Today’s report shows that there is real innovation and ambition for the environment from parts of the water industry. We hope that this report shines a light on this so others will follow.

Rose O’Neill, Freshwater Programme Manager at WWF-UK added:

‘While many water companies have some really laudable environmental plans, there is very little evidence in the public domain to show whether or not they are achieving their goals. Anyone trying to get a clear view of how well they are performing on the environment will be looking into muddy waters at best.”

‘And even with a clear steer from the regulator on public engagement – as was the case with these business plans – there were cases with seven companies where we could not quite tell what was going on. We need full transparency and proper public scrutiny so that everyone knows what their water bills are paying for, and so water companies can be held to account.’

The Blueprint for Water coalition is now calling on Ofwat and the water companies to consider this assessment as the business plans are finalised over 2014 to ensure that they fully deliver for customers and the environment.

Click here to download the report in full