Other stories from last week

(by Karma Loveday)

Sir Ian Cheshire has taken over from Dr Roz Rivaz as chair of the boards of Anglian Water Group and Anglian Water Services. The company said the change is timed to ensure continuity of leadership for the development of the Fens and Lincs reservoirs as they progress from the planning stage into design and construction.

Neil Hornby, chief executive of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, will take up the role of Natural England chief executive in Autumn 2026, following Marian Spain’s retirement.  He has previously served as the Rural Payments Agency’s interim chief executive and has held various government posts. 

In 2025, 2.21% (5,979 of 271,024) of tests reported by local authorities in England and 3.62% (992 of 27,408) of tests reported by the local authorities in Wales did not meet one or more of the standards for wholesomeness under drinking water regulation – meaning they did not contain any microorganism, parasite, or substance at a concentration or value that exceeds limit values or would constitute a potential danger to human health. That was according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s annual reports on private water supplies in England and Wales. Around 1.5% of the population of England and 3.27% of the population in Wales use a private water supply, mostly in remote rural areas. 

Last week, Bristol Water celebrated its 180th birthday, making it the UK’s oldest public water supplier.

The International Water Association has released the Preliminary Programme for Glasgow’s World Water Congress in October. Discussions will span six core technical themes, complemented by keynote sessions, plenary debates, specialist and business forums, an exhibition, technical tours and a cultural event. 

The Planning Inspectorate is consulting until 24 August in the pre-examination stage on Southern Water’s Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling project.

A shortage of people with the leadership skills needed to run complex water projects is emerging as one of the biggest workforce challenges facing the sector, according to research from built environment recruitment consultancy Carrington West. 63% of water-sector hiring managers said leadership and people-management skills are now the hardest contractor capability to find. 90% of water employers said they struggle to recruit specialist contractors, with middle-management roles proving particularly difficult to fill. 68% expected demand for contractors to increase over the next 12 months.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper presented the Chalk Streams (Sewerage Investment) Bill in the House of Commons last week. It seeks to require water companies to prioritise areas with chalk streams and related habitats when investing in new and upgraded sewerage systems, including foul water leak prevention and the replacement or upgrading of porous sewage pipelines; and for connected purposes. The Bill is scheduled to be read a Second time on 15 January 2027. 

Non-household water retailer and multi-utility provider Everflow has secured £44m of funding: £22m from growth investor BGF and a £22m debt facility from digital bank OakNorth. The funding will support the company’s expansion, staff growth, diversification into new sectors and digital transformation. Founded in 2015, Everflow now serves 120,000 customers, mostly SMEs.

The Wildlife Trusts has awarded the Biodiversity Benchmark to Severn Trent’s 145-hectare Tittesworth Water in Staffordshire. It is the largest reservoir-based site in the UK to have gained the accreditation, joining just 51 other sites.