(by Karma Loveday) The Water Industry Commission for Scotland has slightly delayed the publication of its 2027-33 Final Determination for Scottish Water until 12 November, from 29 October. The regulator said it had received 51 responses to its draft, some of which “included additional information and evidence that was not available when the Draft Determination was prepared”. The extra time will enable these responses to be considered thoroughly, and allow for “further conside

(by Karma Loveday) Thames Water is seeking an extra £2.4bn from its creditors to extend its liquidity to Autumn 2027. It said in a stock exchange statement that the £3bn facility previously committed by creditors will only last until the end of this year or early next year (£2.65bn has already been drawn down), but that the company “does not expect to complete its recapitalisation process ahead of this date”. Hence it needs an “upsize,” to be accessed in tranches over the c

(by Karma Loveday) Restoring rivers could yield a seven-fold cost benefit, according to a new report from The Wildlife Trusts, Trent Rivers Trust and Intact Insurance. The Rivers 2040 Vision assessed the impact of restoring the entirety of the River Trent, England’s longest river from source to sea – on nature, the economy and local communities. It found that an investment of £43m a year over 30 years could generate £10bn in economic benefit, meaning every £1 spent would yiel

(by Karma Loveday) The first annual Tideway benefits report showed storm overflows to the tidal Thames were reduced by 86% compared to the pre-tunnel period (based on modelled volumes). According to the the first full-year assessment of the environmental benefits delivered by the tunnel during its commissioning phase, there were concrete improvements across all four core objectives of London’s super sewer: reducing sewage discharges, improving water quality, lowering sewage-d

(by Karma Loveday) Havant Borough Council has unanimously declared no confidence in Southern Water. A motion to that effect was passed on 7 October, citing “repeated discharges of sewage into Langstone Harbour, Chichester Harbour and off Hayling Island” at the cost of the marine environment, local tourism and public health. It also cited “the controversial water recycling plans for Havant Thicket Reservoir, where widespread public concern remains regarding consultation, envir

(by Karma Loveday) The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will take evidence on Tuesday from 9.30am on water ownership models, as part of its ongoing ‘Reforming the water sector’ inquiry. Witnesses include experts and academics from the UK and Europe, the European Investment Bank, Water UK and Veolia, which has previously expressed interest in running a publicly owned Thames Water. Details: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/52/environment-food-and-rural-af

(by Karma Loveday) The Clear Waters Partnership – a collaborative project that brings together environmental groups, regulators, local authorities, the water sector and consumer representatives around a shared vision for improved transparency – is seeking input until 6 November on its draft action plan to bring transparency to what water company investment actually delivers for the environment. The plan is focused on making information about water sector spending on the envi

(by Karma Loveday) Water minister Emma Hardy instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise protecting public water supplies where there is an unavoidable trade-off between environmental rules and water supplies, as the Government announced six areas of England had tipped into ‘severe drought’. Water companies in these areas will be allowed to keep more water in depleted reservoirs, contrary to normal permits. Severe drought is now evident in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset

(by Verity Mitchell) Ofwat has published its draft performance penalties for the 2025/26 financial year under its Outcome Delivery Incentives (ODI) regime. The penalties are expected to result in a net £240m reduction in customer bills, of which £107m will be returned in 2027/28. The companies have already reported these. Ofwat is merely consolidating the data. By far the worst hit companies were Yorkshire and Thames, which incurred ODI penalties of £75m and £45.8m respective

(by Verity Mitchell) Moody’s issued a warning on regulatory uncertainty ahead of its annual water conference last week. The rating agency noted that timelines have slipped and regulatory uncertainty persists. Revised strategic direction to the existing regulators has been limited. Time is increasingly constrained, given that the methodology for the 2029 price review will need to be consulted on during 2027. Further delays could weaken confidence in the future regulatory frame