Found: reinforcement and site-specific developer services is paid for directly by developers and not general water bill

Found: Henderson, CEO at Water UK, highlighted that costs to remove PFAS from drinking water fall on water bill

Found: Water Minister or the flooding and coastal risk Minister, who has been very busy with the first water Bill

Found: In 2024/25 around 1 in 10 households were in arrears with water bill payments, but less than 1 in 300

Found: When Sarah fell behind on a water bill, her debt was passed to a collection

Found: I’ve had help with topping up my electricity meter, managed to halve my monthly water bill and now been

Found: No one in the HD area need fear their water bill – we offer discounts of up to 70 percent for those

Found: No one in the Severn Trent area need fear their water bill – we offer discounts of up to £390, which

Found: This is reflective of the size of the average annual water bill - which for United Utilities was £441

Found: investment period, we have increased the level of help to customers to the value of over £375m worth of water bill

Found: enforcement orders were taken forward, representing 0.00087% of households for whom we provide their water bill

Found: Anonymous “Found the high cost of the water bill much too high.

Found: Obviously, the other big commitment we have in terms of parliamentary time is around the water Bill.

Found: There is a cost of living crisis and we know that the water bill increases that everybody has had have

Found: Yes, it is part of the water White Paper so we would expect to see it as part of the forthcoming water bill

Found: We are obviously very interested in the water Bill because we can provide unilateral advice, as we did

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) the above inflation increase in the average household water bill in 2025/2026, and (2) the expected above inflation increase in 2026/2027, on low-income households.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies must submit their estimated water poverty levels as part of their Price Review 24 business plan. From these projections we expect around 1 million households to be in water poverty by 2030. The Water Servies Regulation Authority (Ofwat) will publish a Cost-of-Living Report on affordability challenges this summer.

We expect all water companies to support customers struggling to pay their bills including more than doubling the number of customers receiving social tariffs. We will continue to take action to ensure the most vulnerable are protected from rising bills. As part of this, this Government is undertaking reforms to the statutory support scheme WaterSure.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will make an assessment of the a) resilience and b) capacity of the local water provision following shortages in the Weybridge area.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers. Companies set out how they will continue to meet this duty through statutory Water Resources Management Plans. They must maintain their plans and are required to review the plans to take account of changes, such as new housing growth.

In the Water White Paper, the Government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards, which will be brought forward through the Clean Water Bill announced in the King’s Speech.

These standards will require companies to undertake long-term assessments of their water supply and sewerage assets and systems. Alongside a reformed approach to setting funding and incentives for asset maintenance, these standards will safeguard customer services in the context of a changing climate as well as population growth and other pressures.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect the health of people using inland waters for recreation.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system.

Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regulation, improve water quality and tackle pollution at source, as set out in the Water White Paper.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on Ofwat considering (a) measures to reduce reliance on single sources of water supply and (b) long-term asset health and resilience in future price determinations.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to increasing our water supply while protecting the environment and public health. We are taking a twin track approach to improving water supply resilience. This involves urgent action to reduce water company leaks and use drinking water and rainwater more efficiently, alongside new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers.

In the Water White Paper, the government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards, which will be brought forward through the Clean Water Bill announced in the King’s Speech. These standards will ensure companies secure the long-term resilience of their water supply and sewerage systems.

Alongside the development of forward-looking asset health metrics to ensure critical infrastructure gets the funding that it needs, these standards will safeguard customer services in the context of a changing climate as well as population growth and other pressures.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department provides guidance to Ofwat on approving water bill increases where companies have ongoing records of sewage discharges and environmental breaches.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ofwat determines the price, investment, and service package that customers receive, through the Price Review mechanism. Price Reviews take place every five years, with the most recent one (PR24) covering the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030. Ofwat's decisions determine the amount of revenue which each company can receive from customers (households and businesses). The actual charges to customers are decided by companies, following charging rules which Ofwat sets.

Companies have a range of performance targets covering areas such as customer service, water supply standards, and environmental performance. Where companies do not meet the targets the amount they can take from customers for the following year is reduced to reflect that performance.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take legislative steps to make the Water Restoration Fund a long-term legal entity in the proposed Clean Water Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The recipients of the Water Restoration Fund were announced in October 2025, with projects due to be completed by March 2028.

The most recent tranche of water company fines, as announced alongside the White Paper in January, is being allocated to catchment partnerships, the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) and Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) Programme. Further details on future tranches of water company announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a statutory duty on water companies to protect recreational users of waters in the forthcoming Clean Water Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system.

Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regulation, improve water quality and tackle pollution at source, as set out in the Water White Paper.

Targeted engagement is already taking place with stakeholders across the water sector to support policy development.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that recreational water users, including paddlers, are considered in the development of the Clean Water Bill, including in relation to public access to inland waterways.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system.

Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regulation, improve water quality and tackle pollution at source, as set out in the Water White Paper.

Targeted engagement is already taking place with stakeholders across the water sector to support policy development.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with stakeholders representing recreational users of water on the proposed Clean Water Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system.

Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regulation, improve water quality and tackle pollution at source, as set out in the Water White Paper.

Targeted engagement is already taking place with stakeholders across the water sector to support policy development.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in response to the hon, Member for Twickenham during oral questions on 19 March 2026, if she will provide further information on reforms of public health and water including (a) legislation required and (b) timeframe for implementation.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system.

Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regulation, improve water quality and tackle pollution at source, as set out in the Water White Paper.

Implementation is already underway, with further legislation and reforms delivered over time as part of the Government’s wider programme to reset the water system.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework governing water companies.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The existing regulatory system has been exploited time and time again. We are putting this right through our Clean Water Bill. We will create a single, powerful regulator with sharper oversight and clearer powers, so water companies are properly held to account. That means faster intervention when performance slips and a stronger framework to protect customers and the environment.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) water supply systems and (b) other critical infrastructure are resilient to projected climate impacts.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In the Water White Paper, the Government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards, which will be brought forward through the Clean Water Bill announced in the King’s Speech.

These standards will require companies to undertake long-term assessments of their water supply and sewerage assets and systems. Alongside a reformed approach to setting funding and incentives for asset maintenance, these standards will safeguard customer services in the context of a changing climate as well as population growth and other pressures.

Furthermore, a programme of £8 billion has been secured through to 2030 to invest in infrastructure and actions to improve water supply resilience. Major supply infrastructure planned before 2050 includes 10 new reservoirs, 9 water transfer schemes and 2 desalination schemes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor compliance with the Water Resale Order 2006 in relation to residential park home sites.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ofwat’s guidance on water resale by third parties, such as park home site owners, sets out the maximum price a reseller can charge and the various methods they can use to calculate those charges.

If a park home site owner breaches any of the requirements under the Water Resale Order, a resident can contact the Government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service for free independent advice about their rights.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department plans to establish the public health task force recommended by the Independent Water Commission prior to the introduction of the Water Reform Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Through an upcoming Water Bill, we intend to progress an ambitious, coherent reset of the legislative framework.

As we take this forward, we will work in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure public health is considered broadly in our new water frameworks and regulations and to consider evidence gaps. Protecting and improving public health is a key consideration of the Government’s once-in-a-generation water reforms.

A new Public Health Water Taskforce, led by the Chief Medical Officer for England, will be a key part of Government’s reforms to the water system. The Taskforce will provide independent and technical advice on public health risks from water and opportunities to improve treatment and protection.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on how Ofwat calculates the cap on which water companies can increase water bills for customers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ofwat published methodology for calculating the price controls that cap water bill increases. Ofwat sets these caps independently through its five‑year price review, assessing companies’ plans and the efficient costs needed to meet Government‑set service and environmental expectations. Money approved for infrastructure can only be spent on upgrades that benefit customers and the environment, and cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends or executive pay, with requirements for companies to return money to customers if they fail to meet performance commitments. The Government has also secured £104 billion of private investment through Price Review 2024, the largest investment programme in the history of the water sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled A New Vision for Water, published on 20 January 2026, if she plans to publish the Transition Plan on a sitting day of the House this year.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Transition Plan will be published in 2026. It will set clear direction on priorities, sequencing, and engagement, giving the sector confidence as reforms begin and ahead of the introduction of an upcoming water bill.

Found: Reynolds confirmed that several of the reforms outlined in the white paper would be included in a new water bill

Found: circumstances Summary 11 17 There is a risk that water debt levels will rise following significant water bill

Found: circumstances Summary 11 17 There is a risk that water debt levels will rise following significant water bill

Found: government has confirmed that in the second Parliamentary session it will introduce the landmark Clean Water Bill

Found: government has confirmed that in the second Parliamentary session it will introduce the landmark Clean Water Bill

Found: Average Household Water Bill in England and Wales (£) 465 Potential revenue in Northern Ireland if

Found: explored Amina’s situation and supported her applications for welfare benefits (PIP, UC50) and for water bill

Found: This announcement is in line with the upcoming Clean Water Bill, announced this week in the King’s Speech

Found: Some companies will use the average value of everyone’s water bill while others will only use metered

Found: the rent, because we’ve got the council tax, isn’t it, you’ve got council tax, you’ve got the water bill

Found: A water bill is then due to be laid in summer 2026.

Found: A water bill is then due to be laid in summer 2026.

Found: CCW is the only organisation to test the price review outcomes with the people who fund it – water bill

Found: We found that households would be willing to pay up to £40 a year more on their water bill to use nature

Found: Protections (Late Payments) Bill.............................................................19 Clean Water Bill

Found: Protections (Late Payments) Bill ............................................................ 19 Clean Water Bill

Found: (Late Payments) Bill ............................................................. 19 Clean Water Bill

Found: Government will improve critical infrastructure with legislation to clean-up the water industry [Clean Water Bill

Found: Government will improve critical infrastructure with legislation to clean-up the water industry [Clean Water Bill

Found: The average water bill increases expected under the CMA’s final decision include some changes made by

Found: system; and Mr Rodriguez’ evidence that he had moved to a different address and having produced a water bill

Found: the rent, because we’ve got the council tax, isn’t it, you’ve got council tax, you’ve got the water bill

Found: One week’s (EMA) was like a month or a month and a half of my water bill (Care experienced focus group

Found: “My water bill was huge, and they were so helpful — they made it affordable.”

Found: work with the UK Government to seek additional legislative competence and bring forward a new Water Bill

Found: to work with the UK Government to seek additional legislative competence and bring forward a new Water Bill

Found: closely with the UK Government to seek additional legislative competence and bring forward a new Water Bill