Ofwat has set out new proposals to improve financial resilience in the sector which would give the regulator extra powers to stop water companies making dividend payments if the company's financial resilience is at risk.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) today argues that there is no reason for any further delay to the roll-out of the Government’s Environmental Principles, which are intended to be binding on policymakers across many areas of central government.

Ofwat has published a discussion paper exploring options to introduce further competition for strategic investment in the English water sector, including the removal of regulatory barriers.

The Environment Agency yesterday made an application to Defra for a Drought Order which will help to prevent the Holme Styes reservoir in Holmfirth from running dry.

New plans announced by the Government to help safeguard England’s protected sites by driving down nutrient pollution will place a new legal duty on water companies in England to upgrade wastewater treatment works by 2030 in ‘nutrient neutrality’ areas to the highest achievable technological levels.

The Government has today committed to improving reservoir safety through reforms to the regulatory regime and modernisation of the Reservoirs Act 1975 as it accepted all of the recommendations of the second part of an independent review by Professor David Balmforth.

The High Court has found that the Government’s strategy for getting to Net Zero is inadequate and unlawful, following a successful legal challenge brought by Good Law Project, Joanna Wheatley, Client Earth and Friends of the Earth.

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee will continue its inquiry on the work of Ofwat, the UK’s water regulator, by taking evidence from industry and infrastructure investment experts.

The Environment Agency has today released its latest Environmental Performance Assessment on the environmental performance of England’s 9 water and sewerage companies which shows environmental performance of England’s 9 water and sewerage companies has declined.