Why we need a reset for water

Recent history in the sector shows how investment has been constrained even as pressure has grown on ageing water and waste infrastructure. This, plus other factors, has left the sector with its highest ever need for investment. The UK and Welsh governments must reform the regulatory system to overcome the three main barriers to enabling such investment to take place.  Underpinning this analysis is our view that the current system features three significant problems: 

1. Governments have delegated decisions to regulators about the priorities that should be funded.
2. The regulatory system has become too complex.  
3. A complex and outdated set of rules prevent investment flowing quickly to the places it is most needed.

Legislation and regulation are stifling innovation and failing to adequately address all the pressures on the water system. 

A ‘second wave’ of increased spend and ambition could build on the achievements of the water sector after 1990, providing us with the enormous opportunity to secure our future water supply and the health of our rivers, lakes and seas.