Morning, Tuesday, 25th March 2025
Online
This conference will assess next steps for England’s water markets, looking at key issues for the sector, its partners and customers.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the way forward for policy, regulation and the water industry, with the Government’s recently announced independent review of the water sector through the creation of an Independent Water Commission, alongside Ofwat’s recently published PR24 final determinations, with price limits set to come into effect in April 2025.
Delegates will examine key considerations for the review and its recommendations to government on how systemic issues can be tackled, with the Commission due to report in Q2 of 2025. The EFRA Committee’s focus on environmental restoration, infrastructure investment, and water sector governance in its ongoing inquiry will also be included in discussions, considering its potential influence on shaping long-term reforms and public confidence in the sector.
Areas for discussion include environmental restoration and sustainability, infrastructure investment, and concerns in relation to industry conduct. The potential shape of intended new partnerships between government, water companies, customers, investors, and other stakeholders will be discussed, alongside strategic options for creating conditions that can foster sector confidence and support its potential role in furthering wider policy aims such as those around economic growth.
Sessions will also consider PR24 determinations, their implications for environmental and infrastructure targets and meeting consumer needs, as well as issues and practicalities for implementation. Discussion is expected on stakeholder reactions and responses to PR24, looking at how prolonged disagreements between industry and regulators can be minimised, what level of financial support is sustainable for suppliers, and approaches to improving supplier cooperation and engagement.
Further sessions look at next steps for tackling water pollution, storm overflows and sewage discharges, considering investment into infrastructure including leakages, increasing preparedness for climate change and growing demand, and delivering good service and fair pricing for consumers.
Delegates will also assess next steps for innovation and investment into new technologies, including the future role of AI and approaches to ensure effective rollout of smart meter initiatives to maximise the benefit of the schemes. They will also explore priorities for promoting industry collaboration and knowledge-sharing to achieve targets in a timely and cost-effective way, and driving innovation and investment into new technologies to create better services and reduce costs.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from MHCLG; DESNZ; DBT; DfT; Ofwat; OEP; IEPAW; CCS; NIAO; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.