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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure water companies are accountable to their users.

The Government’s Water (Special Measures) Act provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period. The Act also enables the public to hold companies to account through introducing new, statutory reporting requirements for emergency overflows and pollution incidents.

As announced in July 2024, consumers will gain powers to hold water company bosses to account through powerful new customer panels. The Water (Special Measures) Act now provides Ofwat with the power to make rules on company governance, including rules which achieve having arrangements in place for involving consumers in decisions that are likely to have an impact on consumer matters. Ofwat will conduct a consultation this summer that will determine the new rule and allow for the establishment of the panels.

The Independent Commission published its results today. This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-water-commission-review-of-the-water-sector.