The UK has come second from last in the European Environment Agency’s annual league table which ranks European Union countries on their bathing quarter quality.

Water UK, the body which represents all the water companies in the UK at both national and international level, has said the Labour Party manifesto "does not do justice to the water industry's record following privatisation."

The Labour Party would take water companies back into public ownership if it wins the General Election, according to BBC news.

Ofwat is expecting to see water companies in England and Wales meet a demanding set of challenges and high expectations in their Business Plans for the upcoming Price Review in 2019, with a particular focus on resilience.

Retailers have flagged up some of the challenges they face in collecting the data Ofwat needs to monitor how the retail business market is working – and suggested that the performance of wholesalers should also be considered when analysing the information submitted by retailers.

The Blueprint for Water coalition is calling for water companies’ 2019 Price Review investment plans to deliver a ‘water neutral’ PR19 and for the firms to ensure that no overall increase in the amount of water is abstracted from rivers and groundwater - despite increases in population and climate change.

Severn Trent Water is calling for Ofwat to explore the scope for increasing the scale of Outcome Delivery Incentives (ODIs) in the 2019 Price Review, the possibility of a variable WACC, potential together with the potential reintroduction of “output type incentives” to address longer term challenges like resilience.