Other stories from last week

(by Karma Loveday)

It was widely reported before the Easter break, following a story in the FT, that Ofwat was poised to accept undertakings from Thames Water creditors that would trade off a commitment to invest in the business and improve longer-term performance, for Ofwat’s agreement to waive new fines for the rest of AMP8. If struck, and such deal would be subject to public consultation. 

South East Water’s resilience challenges surfaced again ahead of Easter, when just under 6,000 properties in parts of Kent experienced no water or low pressure. This was caused by a fault on a key main from the Bewl water treatment works in East Sussex.

Defra has appointed three new independent members to the board of the Consumer Council for Water. Alison Austin, a sustainability and governance specialist, and Hilary Florek, a strategic communications and marketing specialist, began three-year terms on 1 April. Lawyer Peter Judge’s three-year term will begin on 1 November 2026.

Veolia has appointed Richard Kirkman, previously CEO and managing director for Veolia Australia & New Zealand, as the new CEO for Northern Europe, overseeing operations in the UK, as well as Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and the Netherlands. Outgoing UK CEO Gavin Graveson has been appointed CEO of Veolia's Asia Pacific Zone. 

NI Water has announced a 7.9% increase for the 2026/27 period for non-domestic customers, effective from 1 April. The company said it was necessary to utilise the full price limit allowance, in particular because of the escalating cost of power and operational demands.

Southern Water has reopened its Business Partnership Fund for the next window of applications, between 1 April and 15 July. The fund is open to all retailers, businesses and third-party water conservation providers in its area. Southern provides grants to reduce reliance on mains water — for instance, through water saving technologies and rainwater harvesting. 

United Utilities has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Manchester, to advance research and innovation in the water sector. Under the partnership, the two parties will expand their engagement across strategic innovation priorities, aligning academic expertise with company needs and opportunities. The challenges in scope include climate resilience, water quality, wastewater management and resource optimisation.  

Regulators in England and Wales have updated the Water Resources Planning Guideline following an Autumn 2025 consultation. The changes concern process and approach, and include updated links to associated guidance, research and documents.