October 2024
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This conference assessed latest developments and next steps for tackling water pollution in England.
It followed the announcement of more details on measures in the Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill, which aim to strengthen regulation, including the powers of the water regulator, and improve accountability by increasing penalties for polluting water companies, including higher fines and criminal charges. It was a timely opportunity to discuss the likely impact of measures in the Bill and the way forward for policy and implementation, amidst concerns that it is not enough to combat the water pollution crisis, particularly in regards to agriculture pollution.
The conference also came with new measures set out by the Secretary of State to cut sewage dumping and attract investment to upgrade infrastructure by ring fencing spending so that it is spent on upgrades. The Government has also announced that it will conduct an in-depth review of the water system, with further details expected later in autumn. Areas for discussion included increasing compensation when water services are affected for consumers, introducing new customer panels with the aim of holding water companies to account, and issuing severe penalties when they fail to manage wastewater networks and treatment.
We expected delegates to examine concerns raised in the Water and sewerage companies in England: environmental performance report 2023 recently published by the Environment Agency, including next steps for improvement in light of plans to recruit up to 500 additional staff members, increase compliance checks and quadruple the number of inspections for water companies by March next year. We are pleased that Director of Water at the Environment Agency, Helen Wakeham, was a keynote speaker at this conference.
We also expected discussion on the Office for Environmental Protection’s recently published review of Implementation of the Water Framework Directive Regulations and River Basin Management Planning in England. The Chair of the OEP, Dame Glenys Stacey, was keynote speaker at this conference.
The OEP report raised concerns around the implementation of regulations designed to protect rivers, and found that progress is not on track to meet objectives under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which was transposed into UK law following Brexit.
Stakeholders and policymakers examined the report’s findings and recommendations, what will be needed for commitments on improving water quality to be met, and the roles and responsibilities of those involved, looking at key issues around implementing legally and time-constrained targets, monitoring, updating research and economic analysis, and improving public communication and consultation.
Delegates assessed key issues for the water sector, including investment, priorities for enabling the delivery of healthy and sustainable water, implementation so far of the Plan for Water in the last Parliament, and the future of regulation and Ofwat strategy. We also expected discussion on implications of pollution caused by road run off following concerns over harm to wildlife caused by chemicals entering the water.
We are pleased to have been able to include further keynote sessions with: Paul Hickey, Senior Director - RAPID and Environmental Planning, Ofwat; and Daniel Walker-Nolan, Director, Policy, Water UK.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- the OEP report: key findings and recommendations - what will be needed to meet WFD aims - policy and stakeholder priorities - addressing funding concerns
- the Water (Special Measures) Bill: assessing the Bill’s key measures - delivery and governance mechanisms to secure accountability and achieve outcomes - monitoring and sanctions
- regulation: assessing options for supporting water quality, tackling pollution and enforcement - assessing potential emerging threats, including new chemicals - implications for regulation
- delivering healthy and sustainable water: investment priorities - stakeholder responsibilities - frameworks for effective collaboration between government, regulators, advocacy and the sector
- innovation: supporting R&D and the rollout of technology in addressing pollution - AI-driven pollution monitoring and advanced water treatment systems
- consumer and public priorities: keeping England’s waters safe for consumption and swimming - achieving clearer communication - consultation and improving public involvement
- integrated Catchment Action Plans: priorities for collaboration and implementation - lessons learnt so far from the trialling of a catchment-based approach to water management
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. Those that attended include a parliamentary pass-holder from the House of Lords and officials from Defra; Ofwat; OEP; EA; Environmental Standards Scotland; FSA; NIC; NAO; DBT; DfT; DAERA, NI; Department for Communities, NI; NIAO; and the Welsh Government.
