Other stories from last week

(by Karma Loveday)

Utility Regulator (UR) is consulting until 24 July on Northern Ireland (NI) Water’s 2027/28 allowed revenue and price limits. This is an extension year to the original price control (PC21) timetable of 2021-2027, to allow more time to prepare the next full review. UR said its proposals were “primarily based on a roll-forward of the allowance set for the original final year of PC21 (2026/2027)” to keep things as simple as possible. However, it has agreed NI Water's request for a change to cover payments on its capital financing, reflecting interest rate and inflation data. The consultation puts forward total allowed revenue of £693m (nominal) for the 2027/2028 year, and an overall price limit K adjustment factor of 3.4% in real terms (before inflation).

British Water has signed a cooperation deal with the Australian Water Association (AWA), for mutual knowledge exchange on key areas including water reuse, circular economy, nature-based solutions and workforce matters. British Water will also act as a gateway for AWA members seeking to engage with the UK water sector, and the two organisations will jointly partner at international events.

British Water has appointed new convenors for its focus groups: Paul Dix, technical director of asset management at Mott MacDonald, will lead the Asset Management Focus Group; Tom Williams, chief executive of Enebio, will lead the Policy and Regulation Focus Group; and Debbie Taylor, technical chief, rainwater management at United Utilities, will lead the Sustainable Water Management Focus Group.

MOSL has invited retailers to nominate candidates for two retailer director positions on its board. This follows the resignation of Neil Pendle of Waterscan due to a role change, and the scheduled end of term in September of Anita Adam of Water Plus. The nominations window closes on 1 July. The Nomination Committee will meet on 15 July to select and agree on the candidates to progress to the next stage.

Southern Water has partnered with the Pan Parishes River Pollution Forum and local riverkeepers to install 20 water quality monitors along the rivers Test, Itchen and Blackwater. These will monitor parameters such as dissolved oxygen, ammonia and water temperature every half hour, and relay the data to a central platform which the partners will monitor and make publicly available within the year.

Wessex Water has committed £200,000 to a new Bristol Green Spaces Fund, being run in partnership with Bristol City Council. The money will fund grants for community initiatives and environmental improvements to support the use of parks and green spaces. The water company and council are also working together to deliver a wider package on the enhancement of green spaces and parks over the next four years. This is subject of a Bristol City Council committee decision due later this summer, and funds would be used at the discretion of the city authority.

Green MSP Ross Greer challenged first minister John Swinney over the lack of centralised planning for the “wave of applications for hyperscale data centres” Scotland is facing. If all were approved, these would consume up to 6,000MW of power, “which is more than one and a half times our entire national power use at peak time and is obviously completely impossible,” Greer said. Swinney said planning policy supports “green” data centres (covering energy, water and heat) and that the prevailing view until now has been for planning decisions to be taken locally, not directed centrally. “If the Parliament wishes there to be a fundamental change to the way in which we determine such issues, it will have to have an open discussion about whether such powers should be exercised nationally by the Government.”