New Government Guidance will require water industry regulator Ofwat to regularly review and report on the issue of cyclical investment in the water sector and whether its regulatory framework is having an impact on the profile of investment in the water and sewerage sector.

UK water industry regulator Ofwat is considering whether there is a possible link between a rise in the number of pollution incidents that the water companies reported during 2011-12 and how well the companies are managing, maintaining and operating their underground networks.

A transformation in the way energy is used across the UK economy could help boost growth and jobs, and investing in energy efficiency could save up to 22 power stations-worth of energy by 2020, according to the Government’s Energy Efficiency Strategy published today.

Thames Water is coming under ongoing pressure with regard to the funding needed to financé the costs of building the Tideway Tunnel – last week MP Simon Hughes and format Ofwat Director-General Sir Ian Byatt questioned the proposals, while articles in the Guardian, the Times and the Financial Times also flagged up serious concerns on the subject.

The Managing Director of Severn Trent Costain has called for a more innovative approach to water and wastewater services for businesses and stressed the need for added value ‘behind the stop tap’, where the services of traditional water utility companies often terminate.