Water Pollution

Question 1

What are the THREE regulatory bodies for the water industry?

Answer 1

1. Ofwat – regulates the industry’s structure & financial transparency (incl. mergers, pricing issues)

2.Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) (England and Wales) and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR) – as their names suggest, they monitor drinking water quality

3. Environment Agency – flood protection; monitors coastal, estuary and inland waters for pollution levels and investigates polluting incidents , such as those which result in “fish kills” or excessive amounts of sewage waste arriving in bathing waters.

Question 2

What is the background to water pollution?

Answer 2

Water/sewerage was a municipal (council) service in most large towns and cities. From the 19th century, civic “corporations” (councils) in cities like Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham built their own reservoirs, pumping stations and pipe networks to serve their growing populations.

Question 3

Deal with water pollution now?

Answer 3

Private companies (incl. several foreign-owned ones) now provide water and deal with waste across England and Wales.

There is a conflict between companies’ need to pay their shareholders dividends AND to invest in the water infrastructure. They are frequent targets for media criticism > lots of stories about leaks, rising water bills, alleged under-investment and poor water quality in rivers and on coastlines.