The dire state of our water has become a topic of household conversation and deep reforms are needed โ but this week, pending the results of the newly established Water Commission, P4P Peers helped secure some positive improvements via the Water (Special Measures) Bill.
๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ l๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น โ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑโ ๐ฑ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐, meaning that it'll need to consider how its own actions, and by extension those of water and sewerage companies, can contribute to our legally binding net zero and environmental targets. This is a significant improvement which will apply industry wide. (NB other regulators/public bodies need this).
๐ฑThereโs been ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, as water companies will have to consider using NBS approaches in their drainage and sewerage management plans, which should improve progress towards our biodiversity targets and mean less concrete is deployed, and ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Other reforms didnโt make it through:ย
๐ท Peers wanted the Water Restoration Fund on a legal footing and to make sure that fines paid by water companies for polluting are channelled into projects that fix the damage theyโve caused. Despite this being the stated purpose of the Fund, around 20% of fines in 2022/23 didnโt make it into the fund โ reflecting the usual reluctance of HM Treasury to ringfence funds.ย
๐ Peers also pushed for sewerage companies to be fully transparent, and to proactively publish the environmental data they hold, which despite a court ruling and statements from the Information Commissioner and Ofwat that they must publish, some continue to withhold. Peers also made the case for existing provisions for โspecial administrationโ โ when a water company becomes insolvent or fails in its statutory duties or license conditions โ to be used as the ultimate sanction for polluting companies.
So now itโs over to MPs to go into bat as the Bill moves to the Commons.
Thank you to everyone who shared their expertise and insights, and provided excellent briefing to support Peers in their efforts especiallyย Wildlife and Countryside Link's Water Blueprint coalition andย WildFish. Alsoย The Office for Environmental Protection.ย
You can watch the Water (Special Measures) Bill, Third Reading here on parliament tv.
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