Regulators ‘appear unable’ to stop water firms acting unlawfully, MPs warn July 18, 2025 A group of influential MPs have called for a “low risk, low return” water sector and urged the government to strengthen regulatory powers amid scrutiny over excessive dividends and murky company structures. In a wide-reaching report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that the “financial fragility” of a few large utilities had caused investors to [...]
South West Water to pay £24m to avoid fine from Ofwat over leaks July 10, 2025 South West Water is to invest £24m into its network and local environment to avoid being fined by the industry regulator after a failure to manage its wastewater network led to unnecessary leaks. Ofwat said the utility had “failed to build” and operate its wastewater treatment works and sewer network to “ensure they performed sufficiently.” [...]
Thames Water bosses face fresh grilling from MPs over bonus row July 9, 2025 Thames Water bosses have been hauled back in front of MPs after accusations of a “lack of transparency” surrounding bonuses carved out of an emergency loan. The crisis-hit utility has refused to take back nearly £2.5m it paid to a host of senior managers from the £3bn lifeline provided by creditors earlier this year. Some [...]
Macquarie to inject £1.2bn into struggling Southern Water July 1, 2025 Macquarie is to invest £1.2bn into the struggling utility Southern Water in a move that could prevent a possible breach of its regulatory license. The new equity investment plan will enable Southern, which supplies water to 2.6m customers in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to fund its Ofwat-approved investment programme for the [...]
Ofwat set to fight off legal action over its price review June 24, 2025 Ofwat is set to face legal action over its price review after an application was green-lit to proceed to the High Court.
United Utilities: Banned bonus for FTSE 100 CEO revealed June 23, 2025 The amount top bosses at FTSE 100 giant United Utilities are set to lose in bonuses – after the water giant was named as one of six to be banned from handing out the payouts – has been revealed. Earlier this month, new measures in the Water (Special Measures) Act come into force which prohibited utility [...]
MP to take Thames Water to Supreme Court over restructuring plan June 17, 2025 A Liberal Democrat MP will take a case against Thames Water’s restructuring to the Supreme Court. Charlie Maynard, MP for Witney, was among a group which included the utility’s secondary creditors, who opposed a £3bn emergency loan agreement earlier this year. Thames Water has been battling to stave off special administration over the last year [...]
Thames Water lenders offer £17bn plan, push Ofwat for ‘regulatory reset’ June 10, 2025 A group of Thames Water’s major creditors have put forward a sweeping, multibillion-pound rescue deal, while calling for forgiveness of historic fines from Ofwat. Major investment firms, including Aberdeen and Elliott Management, are among the investors, who have said they have “the funding and experience required to deliver a transformation of the company’s performance which is intended [...]
Is the government right to ban water company bonuses? June 6, 2025 It is safe to say the water industry is not in the government’s good books. Decades of underinvestment and mounting debt have led to a sewage spill crisis, sparking immense public outrage. Thames Water, the UK’s largest water supplier, has come to symbolise the sector’s woes as it teeters on the brink of administration. US [...]
Thames Water: Water boss bonus ban comes into force June 5, 2025 Six water companies including crisis-hit Thames Water will be banned from paying bonuses to senior bosses. New measures in the Water (Special Measures) Act come into force on Friday, prohibiting utility firms that oversee “poor environmental and customer outcomes” from offering bonuses to senior bosses. The companies impacted are Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water, [...]