Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Wastewater asset inspection responsibilities are unclear, lacking a dedicated inspectorate function.
Conclusion
The UK has one of the highest standards of drinking water quality in the world, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) does inspect water supply assets.28 But the responsibility for wastewater is much less clear. The EA’s responsibility is to conduct inspections only to assess compliance with environmental permits. Ofwat is not an inspectorate, and Defra told us that regulation had moved away from direct regulation and inspections since 2011.29 Water UK told us that Ofwat has not had a chief engineer in place since 2005. The EA says it is getting back into the business of doing significant inspections, having conducted 4,600 last year and planning to carry out 10,000 this year.30 Long-term planning
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 15 October 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗