The Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, met with water company Chief Executives in July to make it clear to them that water firms will be held accountable for their performance.
During the meeting, water bosses signed up to the Government’s initial package of reforms towards ending the crisis in the water sector. These measures include ensuring funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced so it can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment, and making sure that customers are at the heart of water company objectives.
These steps sit alongside the new Labour Government’s manifesto commitments to put failing water companies under tough special measures to clean up the nation’s waterways.
The meeting followed the publication of Ofwat’s draft determinations on water company spending, with a proposed £88 billion investment package and an average £19 per year increase to water bills.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:
“Today’s water bill rises are the result of years of failure.
“The new Government will force water companies to tackle illegal sewage dumping into our rivers, lakes and seas. Firm action should have been taken much earlier to ensure money was spent on fixing the sewage system, not syphoned off for bonuses and dividends.
“The decisive steps set out today mean this will never be allowed to happen again.
“After meetings with water bosses this afternoon, they have now signed up to my initial package of reforms as we work towards cleaning up our water, prioritising the interests of water customers and the environment, and fixing our broken sewage system.”
