Latest news with #watercompanies
Bloomberg
8 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
The UK's Great Water Experiment Has Failed
Investors buying a substantial stake in a UK bank must undergo an assessment of whether they have the reputation, integrity and financial soundness to be an owner. A similar process applies to acquirers of oil and gas producers. Even buyers of football clubs face a 'fit and proper' test of their suitability. No such requirement applies to the owners of water companies. This never made sense. Jon Cunliffe, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, seems to agree. A key recommendation of the Independent Water Commission that he chairs is to give a future combined industry regulator the power to block changes of ownership, set leverage levels and, in some circumstances, to give direction to the ultimate controller of the company. Such powers are 'necessary guardrails' in water, he said this week, presenting the conclusions of the commission's 464-page final report. For some critics, its proposed overhaul doesn't go far enough; all the same, the significance of the shift in regulatory philosophy shouldn't be underestimated.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: Swimming in the satin sea, suddenly it turns to filth
My usual summer swim spot is on the lazy, green Yorkshire Derwent. But after school on the hottest Friday of the year, we fancy a change and head for the coast with friends. We love the beach at Hunmanby Gap for its sand, sea, views of the seabird-stacked Bempton cliffs and the almost complete lack of commodification – even the delightfully ramshackle clifftop cafe closes early. The kids spend hours enacting splashy paddleboard piracy. As the sun sinks, I swim past them, and past gentle breakers into a perfect sea of soft, blue taffeta ripples. But 40 metres out, the surface texture changes from satiny to fuzzy. At first I think it's floating seaweed, but my husband has a better view from his paddleboard. 'Urrgh! Sewage slick, go back!' There's been no rain and we checked the discharge map, but despite laws in place to protect us and the environment, and real-time data beamed to my phone, I've still ended up swimming in illegal filth from a green-tick beach. It's a familiar story, one in which, extraordinarily, our water companies are being investigated for corporate criminality. I thought I couldn't be more angry, but now there's a new twist, as some companies appear to be adopting new tactics that subject swimmers to more exclusion, persecution and misinformation. Bristol Water recently closed access to a popular reservoir on hot days and Severn Trent Water is threatening swimmers at Bartley reservoir with costly legal action for an unauthorised dip while permitting other water sports. As usual, they cite safety. But while every drowning in this sort of setting is a tragedy, cycling, running and horse riding all have far higher fatality rates. The number of experienced cold-water swimmers who get into trouble is extremely small, and the health benefits mean we're much better off doing it than not. Water companies could do far more to keep us safe by cleaning up their act and promoting safe swimming at sites including reservoirs, as happens in France and Scotland. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that they dislike us. When the CEO of Water UK linked the awareness of the sewage scandal to the rise in wild swimming, there was more than a hint of a Scooby-Doo subtext: 'We'd have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids.' Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
How to get up to £2,000 by complaining to your water company
Water companies must now pay households up to £2,000 in compensation for service failures as part of wider government efforts to reform the sector. Payout rates have increased by as much as tenfold, marking the first rise in 25 years. The industry has come under mounting scrutiny, as bills have soared and firms have failed to invest adequately in ageing infrastructure. Leaking pipes, repeated sewage discharges into rivers and seas, and unfair executive bonuses have fuelled widespread public anger. Following an investigation by Jon Cunliffe, former Bank of England deputy governor, the Government has announced that it is scrapping Ofwat, the current regulator. Instead, a new regulator will oversee all water functions across Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The news comes as water bills are estimated to rise 30pc over the next five years. Following reforms earlier in the year, as set out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and enforced by Ofwat, customers affected by poor service are entitled to significantly higher compensation. Here, Telegraph Money explains how much you could receive and when, and what to do if your water company refuses to pay. What can you be compensated for? How do you make a claim? How much compensation could you get? What if your water company won't pay out? What can you be compensated for? Households are entitled to compensation if their water company fails to meet minimum service standards, as set out by the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). These include: Failure to provide at least 48 hours' notice of a planned interruption to a water supply lasting more than four hours. Persistent low water pressure. Sewerage flooding, both inside your property and outside (such as gardens and driveways). Failure to restore a water supply on time. Missed or delayed appointments by your water company, or changes to scheduled visits without 24 hours' notice. Delays in dealing with complaints, requests for payment changes or account queries. The Government is also working with water companies to expand the list of circumstances that will trigger compensation payments. From October, customers will also be entitled to compensation if they are asked to boil their water due to a contaminated supply or their smart meter isn't read at least once in a 13-month period. How do you make a claim? In most cases, compensation payments should be automatic. If a company fails to meet the necessary minimum standards, it must make a fixed payment or credit the amount to your account. Automatic payments should usually be made within 20 working days of the incident occurring. This is reduced to 10 working days for delays in dealing with account enquiries, payment changes or issues with appointments. The exception is if you experience external sewerage flooding. In this instance, you will need to claim compensation via your water company. Most companies have claims forms on their websites, or you can get in touch with your provider for more information. How much compensation could you get? The recent changes mark the first time compensation rates have increased in 25 years in recognition of the 'urgent need to bring payments in line with inflation and properly compensate households for poor service', according to Defra. The table below outlines the amounts all water companies in England must now compensate households, and how they compare to previous rates. There are separate rates of compensation for businesses. What if your water company won't pay out? If you believe you're entitled to compensation and haven't received it, or if your issue isn't covered by the GSS (such as billing errors), start by raising a complaint directly with your water company. Currently, a water company must respond within 10 working days. If it doesn't, you can escalate the complaint, and the water company has a further 10 working days to respond. If the issue isn't resolved or you're not happy with the outcome, you can take your complaint to Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which will investigate. You can do this by email or letter, by filling in an online form or over the phone. Currently, there is no ombudsman for the water sector, although this could change as part of the planned overhaul, creating a new body with enhanced legal powers. Be prepared to supply the relevant information, including copies of any communication with your supplier. A spokesperson for CCW said: 'Where CCW cannot resolve disputes relating to GSS payments, the case can be referred to Ofwat, which has the power to make a final decision.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: Swimming in the satin sea, suddenly it turns to filth
My usual summer swim spot is on the lazy, green Yorkshire Derwent. But after school on the hottest Friday of the year, we fancy a change and head for the coast with friends. We love the beach at Hunmanby Gap for its sand, sea, views of the seabird-stacked Bempton cliffs and the almost complete lack of commodification – even the delightfully ramshackle clifftop cafe closes early. The kids spend hours enacting splashy paddleboard piracy. As the sun sinks, I swim past them, and past gentle breakers into a perfect sea of soft, blue taffeta ripples. But 40 metres out, the surface texture changes from satiny to fuzzy. At first I think it's floating seaweed, but my husband has a better view from his paddleboard. 'Urrgh! Sewage slick, go back!' There's been no rain and we checked the discharge map, but despite laws in place to protect us and the environment, and real-time data beamed to my phone, I've still ended up swimming in illegal filth from a green-tick beach. It's a familiar story, one in which, extraordinarily, our water companies are being investigated for corporate criminality. I thought I couldn't be more angry, but now there's a new twist, as some companies appear to be adopting new tactics that subject swimmers to more exclusion, persecution and misinformation. Bristol Water recently closed access to a popular reservoir on hot days and Severn Trent Water is threatening swimmers at Bartley reservoir with costly legal action for an unauthorised dip while permitting other water sports. As usual, they cite safety. But while every drowning in this sort of setting is a tragedy, cycling, running and horse riding all have far higher fatality rates. The number of experienced cold-water swimmers who get into trouble is extremely small, and the health benefits mean we're much better off doing it than not. Water companies could do far more to keep us safe by cleaning up their act and promoting safe swimming at sites including reservoirs, as happens in France and Scotland. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that they dislike us. When the CEO of Water UK linked the awareness of the sewage scandal to the rise in wild swimming, there was more than a hint of a Scooby-Doo subtext: 'We'd have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids.' Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
The only way to really clean up our stinking rivers and seas is to send a few top water bosses to prison: GEOFFREY LEAN
You might think it next to impossible to mismanage water quite so grossly in a nation surrounded by seas, running with rivers and notorious for its wet climate. But that is precisely what our water companies and successive governments have done for decades, outrageously turning the 'stuff of life' into a massive polluter and danger to health.
