Other stories from last week

(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 consideration and development of regulatory arrangements for the 2027–33 period, including the proposed architecture for Scottish Water’s Delivery Plan”.

Water UK set out a series of actions which it classified into immediate, medium-term and long-term priorities to build water resilience to climate change in a stark submission to the Environmental Audit Committee’s call for evidence on climate adaptation.

The trade body cited drought and severe drought; the possibility of standpipes in the south east affecting 280,000 people; and water-related moratoria on business and development in parts of East Anglia, Essex, Suffolk, Sussex and Lincolnshire. It warned: “The problem is spreading, and the lack of urgency on climate resilience and the consequent lack of investment, means it will continue to get more serious as the response of water companies continues to be constrained, even as this new climate reality stares us in the face.” Water UK urged legislators to recognise the role of the water industry in delivery of not only essential public supplies, but also growth and healthy ecosystems.

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has issued a call for evidence until 14 December, asking for examples and evidence of legal requirements, regulatory practices or established assumptions that prevent, delay or discourage action that would benefit nature. It said such blockers may relate to law, regulation and consenting, policy and guidance, how requirements are interpreted and applied, or established practice. Professor Robbie McDonald, the OEP’s chief scientist, said: “We will seek to prioritise them by which would have the most impact if addressed, and identify practical opportunities to address these barriers. Ultimately, we want to work with others to find solutions, so that any blockages can be unblocked.”

Wildlife and Countryside Link has called on the Government to tackle chemical pollution of water in the forthcoming Clean Water Bill. The nature coalition listed as necessary: overhauling monitoring and regulatory standards for chemical pollutants; stopping pollution at source, including by banning PFAS; and making polluters (a few powerful chemicals companies) pay “the huge and growing remediation costs” of treating chemicals in waterways.

Former head of EnTrade and Natural England Guy Thompson will take up post as chief executive of TrustMark on 2 November – the government-endorsed quality scheme for home improvements. 

Portsmouth Water has appointed Clancy to build a new pumping station at Farlington Water Treatment Works (where water from the new Havant Thicket Reservoir will be treated to drinking standards) and install a new pipeline connecting the works with a storage reservoir for treated drinking water just north of Portchester. The work is due to begin in December and run until 2030.

UKWIR has appointed Professor Anusha Shah as chair, replacing Northumbrian Water’s wastewater director Richard Warneford, who has held the post for seven years. Shah is a leading voice on climate change and sustainable development, and has extensive executive and non-executive experience across government, regulators, NGOs and the private sector.

UKWIR has also appointed the Consumer Council for Water’s former chief executive Emma Clancy as the first of two independent non-executive directors. 

The appointments are part of a governance restructuring at UKWIR, to establish a direct reporting line from operational teams to three newly formed strategic committees and a refreshed board. Alongside Shah and Clancy, the board now consists of United Utilities’ Michelle Atkinson, Anglian Water’s Robin Price, Portsmouth Water’s Bob Taylor, Wessex Water’s Matt Wheeldon, and Scottish Water’s Nisarg Hirani. 

Anglian Water has launched the third public consultation, open until 16 December, on its proposed reservoir development in Lincolnshire. This would provide enough water for up to half a million homes as well as creating recreational spaces, areas for wildlife and wetlands. The latest consultation will provide new information on how the reservoir could be built, including approaches to traffic and transport, infrastructure and energy.

Ofwat is consulting until 18 November on moving the non-price protections contained in the Retail Exit Code (REC) to the Customer Protection Code of Practice. The change was proposed in the latest REC review and is intended to improve the transparency and accessibility of the protections available to customers, and to reduce duplication and regulatory complexity. The proposal includes updating the ‘no worse off’ principle to apply to the smallest customers only (Group 1) and to define ‘no worse off’ against customers’ current situations rather than positions at market opening in 2017.

New research from the Water Research Centre (WRc) and Waterwise estimates that households could be wasting 2,600 litres of water a year as they wait for hot water to reach their taps and showers. Losses vary significantly between homes, driven primarily by the design of the hot-water distribution system. The research offers insights for system design in new properties, with a well-positioned hot-water source connected to a compact distribution network likely to help minimise waiting-water loss. Where system redesign is impractical, particularly in existing homes, the study found losses can still be reduced through targeted interventions such as lag-mitigation devices, pipe insulation and water-efficient fittings, alongside behaviour change.

United Utilities has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Liverpool, to collaborate on research, innovation and education. Potential areas of focus include engineering, artificial intelligence and digital innovation, materials discovery, environmental stewardship and life sciences. As part of the partnership, the university campus will work as a ‘Living Lab’ – a real-world test bed to explore new approaches.