Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 43
43
Ofwat’s regulatory approach to date appears to have placed insufficient emphasis on facilitating the investment...
Conclusion
Ofwat’s regulatory approach to date appears to have placed insufficient emphasis on facilitating the investment necessary to ensure that the sewerage system in England is fit for the challenges of the 21st century, and able to cope with housing growth and the impact of climate change while restoring good ecological health to rivers. Investment must be accelerated so that damaging discharges from wastewater treatment assets, including storm overflows, cease and that any spills occur only in genuinely exceptional circumstances. (Paragraph 232) Water quality in rivers 125
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Government supports the use of natural capital in decision making, as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan. We accept that Ofwat should take natural capital into account in economic decision making. Natural capital was included in the 2017 Strategic Policy Statement and Ofwat continues to incorporate natural capital into their regulatory framework. A natural capital approach to decision making is already a part of water company planning processes, for example through the national framework for water resources and Water Industry National Environment Programme. Defra along with Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Natural England will continue to work towards this approach.