A highly critical new report by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is warning that a failing water sector in which “water companies increasingly look like financial institutions rather than businesses servicing monopolised critical infrastructure” is in need of “root and branch reform”.

Ofwat has today announced the final decision in two investigations looking into the operations of Thames Water, who will face penalties totalling £122.7m. These will be paid by the company and its investors, and not by customers.

Alistair Carmichael MP Chair of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, has written separately to Thames Water Chair Sir Adrian Montague and CEO Chris Weston to ask for further clarification of the information they provided when they appeared before the Committee in person on 13 May in an uncomfortable session as part of its ongoing inquiry into reforming the water sector.

The Government has confirmed that paying bonuses in the form of retention payments to senior executives are not an an option for Thames Water, following comments by water company Chair Sir Adrian Montague when he appeared before the House of Commons Select Committee for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) last week.

On 25 February Ofwat hosted its Turning the Tide conference in Westminster bringing together water companies, eNGOs, campaigners and others from the sector to discuss the AMP8 period and year ahead.

Pennon Group PLC, owners of South West Water (SWW) and Sutton and East Surrey (SES), has accepted Ofwat’s Final Determination announced in December, following their respective outstanding and good/standard AMP8 business plan assessments.

customer billsSouthern Water will be the first water company to appear before MPs on the House of Commons EFRA Committee in the first evidence session of their reforming the water sector inquiry which starts at 10am tomorrow morning.

Ofwat has today announced its proposed decision which finds Thames Water to be in breach of its obligations under Licence Condition P30 – the regulator has proposed an £18.2 million penalty after finding the water company broke dividend payment rules.

The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee is today launching a new inquiry, Reforming the Water Sector, to scrutinise the breadth of issues confronting the water sector.

Southern Water has issued a statement rebuffing recent media reports regarding proposed dividend payments, describing them as “inaccurate claims”.