The water companies’ regulation system in England and Wales should be revised and replaced by a single body, has advised a major examination in the sector.
He recommended the abolition of the office regulator as well as the inspection of drinking water (DWI), which guarantees that the public water supplies are safe.
The report, which includes 88 recommendations, suggests a new unique integrated regulator to replace existing childcare dogs, compulsory water measurement and a social rate for vulnerable customers.
The ability to block companies that are retreated and the creation of eight new regional aquatic authorities with another so that the whole Wales achieves local priorities has also been suggested.
The review, the largest in the water industry since the privatization of the 1980s, was undertaken by Sir Jon Cunliffe, a career official who supervised the largest cleaning of the British banking system following the financial accident.
He was hidden out of retirement by the secretary of the environment, Steve Reed, to lead the independent water commission.
Here are nine key recommendations:
• Unique integrated water regulators – a single water regulator in England and a single water regulator in Wales. In England, this would replace Ofwat, the inspection of drinking water and the functions related to the environment of the environment of the Environment and Natural England Agency
• Eight new regional authorities for planning the water system in England and national authority in Wales
• greater protection of consumers – This includes upgrading of the consumer body consumer council for water in a mediator so that water provides stronger protection to customers and a clearer route to resolve complaints
• Stronger environmental regulations, including compulsory water meters
• stricter monitoring of the property and governance of water companies, including new powers for the regulator to block changes in the property of the water company
• Public health reforms – This aims to better manage public health risks in water, recognizing the many people who swim, surf and benefit from other water -based activities
• fundamental resetting of economic regulations – including changes to ensure that companies invest and maintain assets
• Claire strategic direction – a new The long -term water strategy should be published by British and Welsh governments with a “minimum horizon of 25 years”
• Infrastructure and asset health reforms – including new requirements so that companies can map and assess their assets and new resilience standards
In a speech responding to Sir Jon’s report, Mr. Reed should describe the water industry as “broken” and welcome the recommendations of the Commission to guarantee that “the failures of the past can never happen again”.
The commission’s final recommendations were published Monday morning to clean the sector and improve public confidence.
The other stages suggested for the government include greater protection against consumers by improving the consumer council for water into a mediator with plea tasks transferred to the councils of citizens.
Stronger and updated regulations have been proposed by SIR Jon, in particular the compulsory measurement of water, changes in large tariffs for industrial users and the reuse of water and harvesting of rainwater. A social rate is also recommended.
Surveillance of companies via the ability to block changes in the ownership of water companies and the addition of “public advantages” clauses in the licenses of the water company.
To stimulate the financial resilience of the company, while the largest supplier in the United Kingdom Thames Water has trouble staying in private property, the Commission has recommended minimum financial requirements, as banks are submitted.
We hope it will in turn make companies more attractive to potential investors.
The public health element of water has been recognized and a senior public health representation was recommended for regional water planning authorities, as are new laws to combat pollutants such as Forever Chemicals and microplastics.
A “supervision” approach was recommended to intervene before things like pollution occur, rather than penalizing businesses after the event.
A national long -term national water strategy of 25 years is expected to be published by British and Welsh governments, with ministerial priorities granted to water companies every five years.
Companies should also be required to map and assess their assets and resilience
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