In his second ever King’s Speech, King Charles III marked the opening of Parliament on 17th July by setting out a legislative programme that includes increased water industry legislation.
During his speech, King Charles said:
“My Government recognises the need to improve water quality and a Bill will be introduced to strengthen the powers of the water regulator.”
The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on Labour’s pledge to tackle pollution in rivers, lakes and seas by introducing personal criminal liability for breaking laws on water quality and new powers for Ofwat to ban bonus payments.
A new code of conduct for water companies will be introduced, allowing customers to summon board members and hold executives to account, and there will be new powers to bring “automatic and severe” fines for transgressions.
Water companies will be required to install real-time monitors at every sewage outlet with data independently scrutinised by regulators.
Responding to the speech, David Black, Ofwat CEO said:
“We look forward to working with the Government as it aims to increase our powers to drive more responsible decision making in the in the Board rooms of water companies, and support us in going further to protect and promote the interests of customers and the environment.”
Policy Director at CIWEM, Alastair Chisholm, stated:
“Government’s commitment to strengthen the powers of the water regulator is welcomed and sorely needed. It must ensure that regulators have the powers and – crucially – the capacity to properly regulate an industry, which as the Prime Minister has said, has got out of hand. This must be part of a wider, deeper programme of reform which focuses not just on the water industry but on how pressures from agriculture, alongside toxic pollution from highways and chemicals can be tackled in a far more systematic way.”
