(by Karma Loveday) The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland called for more to be done to reduce “avoidable incidents” and water discolouration as it issued its drinking water quality report for 2025. This showed 99.88% of 137,947 regulatory tests met required standards, a slight reduction in performance compared to 2024. Key findings included: 22 out of 62,134 tests on samples of water leaving water treatment works failed to meet standards, which is comparable to r

(by Karma Loveday) As MPs return to Westminster after a summer of drought and wildfires, The Wildlife Trusts have published a staunch defence of the Habitats Regulations, which it argued have repeatedly been under political fire, but which are crucial for the nation’s resilience to weather extremes. The nature group cited “successive government attacks on England’s most effective nature protections” including via the Planning and Infrastructure Act in 2025, and the Nuclear Re

(by Verity Mitchell) On 14 September, Parliament will debate a petition, created by Windrush Against Sewage Pollution’s Ashley Smith, which calls for a binding national referendum to be held on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership. The petition states: “Water is a basic human necessity; we believe our privatised system has failed, so the public should decide who owns and controls it. Private water companies have about 62 million captive customers

(by Verity Mitchell) Assured Guaranty, a US insurance company, is reportedly pressing the Government not to put Thames Water into special administration, arguing this could trigger costly debt redemption. The insurer reported exposure to UK water company debt of £12.4bn at 31 December 2025. This included £1.78bn of financial exposure to Thames Water. Assured Guaranty provides financial guarantees to 15 UK water utilities, wrapping bonds with non-payment insurance to improve

(by Karma Loveday) In its latest move to secure consent for the purchase and refinancing of Thames Water, the London & Valley Water (L&VW) creditor consortium has proposed a cohort of specialist new non-executive directors would be appointed to the Thames board, should its latest improved offer be accepted. The new directors would oversee a ten-year turnaround plan involving the investment of billions of pounds, and “deliver a comprehensive transformation in the interest of c

(by Karma Loveday) The High Court has granted River Action permission to proceed with a legal challenge against the Government over what the campaign group calls a failure to have or publish a special administration policy for water companies. The case will now proceed to a full hearing. River Action is pushing the Government to publish its policy, if it has one, or to produce and publish one if it does not. Yorkshire Water has appointed Dr Tony Ballance, chief strategy and

(by Karma Loveday) The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), setting out its policies for plan-making and decision-making on development proposals in England and how these are expected to be applied. In terms of water infrastructure, the NPPF seeks to support development in ways which align with wider development and the clean power by 2030 policy. On plan-making, the Government said planning autho

(by Karma Loveday) The Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) has approved the Poole Water Recycling and Transfer Project to clear Gate Three of its process and proceed towards a planning application. Poole will receive £17.9m of funding to work towards the new Major Water Infrastructure Programme’s combined 'Gate C' stage by late 2027. This will include detailed design, cost evidencing and environmental assessment work ahead of a planned Town

(by Karma Loveday) As arrangements for wholesale water price control appeals undergo reform, water retailers have argued that retail price controls also need an appeal mechanism. That was among the points raised by the UK Water Retailer Council (UKWRC) in its response to Ofwat’s Retail Exit Code (REC) review. The Council recognised creating an appeal mechanism for retail price caps is not in Ofwat’s gift, and that Defra has decided not to progress a legislative route for a re

(by Verity Mitchell) Thames Water has used its emergency borrowing facility to pay a delayed £1m signing-on fee to chief financial officer Steve Buck. The payment was disclosed by Sir Adrian Montague, Thames Water's chairman, to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Additionally, Thames Water has reached reduced settlements (which are also extended over a longer period) on retention payments to 14 other executives, including two who have left the company. The £1m