Rachel Fletcher, Chief Executive of Ofwat, has said she is “not at all convinced the water sector meets the test” of providing benefits to all stakeholders and not just rewarding its shareholders.

Rob Lawson, Director at Artesia Consulting Ltd outlines a new collaborative project currently being undertaken by 15 water companies and the Environment Agency which is expected to yield valuable insights quantifying the impacts of the summer heatwave on water demand. 

The Irish Water Board Water has lifted all remaining Water Conservation Order restrictions in the Southern, Eastern and Midlands regions met today following a review of the data.

The National Drought Group (NDG) has confirmed that there is currently no threat to essential water supplies - but warned that a drier than average winter would bring the risk of restrictions for water company customers.

Nomenca Ltd., a specialist engineering arm of NM Group (North Midland Construction plc), has begun a £22 million expansion of South East Water’s Bray Keleher Water Treatment Works in Berkshire that will see the treatment works increase approximately one-third in size and output.

The amount of water lost through leakage has risen for the second year running - the Consumer Council for Water is calling for water companies to take action now to tackle the problem.

United Utilities has been granted drought permits enabling to increase the level of water it extracts from a number of boreholes and reservoirs in the North West to maintain supplies.

Portsmouth Water has gone out to tender with a major consultative engineering and construction services contract worth an estimated £14 million.

The Environment Agency is stepping up its response to tackle the mounting impacts of continued dry weather and coordinate action to maintain water supplies and manage the other risks associated with drought.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is continuing to encourage its three million-plus customers to use water wisely in order to safeguard water supplies following the hottest June in Wales since records began in 1910.