The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is to conclude its investigation into the regulation of combined sewer overflows after securing significant progress in tackling the issues it has raised.

The recommendations set out in the report of the Independent Water Commission yesterday have been broadly welcomed by organisations across the wider water sector.

Ofwat is to be abolished and replaced by one single water regulator responsible for the entire water system, the Government has announced today.

The final report of the Independent Water Commission published today is recommending the creation of a single water regulator for England and a single water regulator for Wales. In England this would replace Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and water-environment related functions from the Environment Agency and Natural England. 

Sewage pollution from water companies will be cut in half by the end of the decade, the Environment Secretary Steve Reed has pledged today, together with halving phosphorus from treated wastewater by 2028.

Ofwat has agreed to a request from Thames Water to further defer the referral of its PR24 Final Determination for the water company to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for a re-determination until 22^nd October 2025.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed is set to establish a new water ombudsman to support customers - the consumer champion will have legal powers to resolve disputes to put money back in people’s pockets.

The number of water company pollution incidents across England rose sharply last year, a new report from the Environment Agency has found. The report shows consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage companies in the region, with serious pollution incidents in 2024 up 60% from 2023.