Alan Lovell DL, Chair, Environment Agency and Sir James Bevan KCMG, Chief Executive, Environment Agency are due to give evidence in person today when they appear before the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

United Utilities is shortly due to appear in the Supreme Court in Manchester at 11am for the start of a two day hearing to argue it should not be held liable by private landowners and individuals for sewage released into UK waterways.

The Government has published its action plan for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) aimed at speeding up the delivery of major infrastructure projects, including those in in the water and wastewater sector.

Ofwat has said that water companies must improve their draft plans to secure reliable water services in the coming decades – the regulator said its assessment of the plans shows they have more work to do to develop their proposals to meet future challenges.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has launched a major new consultation on its plans for the fourth round of climate change adaptation reporting – including filling gaps in the existing knowledge base where the climate resilience of some crucial UK infrastructure is not known.

In his final speech on water, Sir James Bevan reflected on the debate around water quality over his seven years as Chief Executive, saying that more facts and not assertions are needed on water and warning that it will be “particularly challenging” to achieve good status for all rivers in England.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has today demanded water companies a clear assessment and action plan on every storm overflow from every water and sewerage company in England, prioritising those that are spilling more than a certain number of times a year, and those spilling into bathing waters and high priority nature sites.