Morning, Tuesday, 18th November 2025
Online
This conference will examine the future of water infrastructure in England and Wales. Planned areas for discussion include long-term investment, improving infrastructure resilience, building public trust, and the delivery of new water supply infrastructure such as reservoirs - as well as issues relating to accountability, environmental performance, and affordability.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to consider priorities emerging from the Independent Water Commission’s final report and the recent findings of the Public Accounts Committee, alongside the recent NAO findings, and what will be needed to address issues they identify - including a lack of coordination across regulators, gaps in understanding of asset condition, and the need for reform to support delivery and investment. Delegates will assess proposals set out in the Commission’s final report for regulatory restructuring and clarification of responsibilities, options for a more supervisory or systems-based model of oversight, and the potential for new resilience standards at national level - as well as recommendations relating to regional planning bodies and the development of a National Water Strategy, alongside real-time environmental monitoring.
The agenda will assess strategic options for tackling funding challenges and securing investment. We expect discussion on how stakeholders in the water sector can best take advantage of support for infrastructure and capital raising through measures in the Spending Review, the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy, and initiatives such as the Mansion House Accord and National Wealth Fund. Attendees will consider how conditions for sustained investment can be improved, including steps to support financial stability, and priorities for clear regulatory signals and strategic engagement from government - particularly in the context of recent developments affecting investor sentiment and business confidence.
Delegates will also assess implications of the final AMP8 determinations for infrastructure planning, delivery, and sector resilience. Areas for discussion include priorities for capital investment under the new funding envelope, strengthened assurance and reporting requirements, and alignment with wider aims for innovation, digital transformation, and environmental compliance. Discussion will consider how the sector can respond to heightened scrutiny of performance and delivery, and the conditions needed to support infrastructure ambitions amid tighter regulatory expectations and investor pressures.
In light of the Environment Agency’s National Framework for Water Resources 2025, and its emphasis on collaborative regional planning for long-term water resilience, further sessions will examine strategies around water resource management, including government plans to accelerate reservoir development and progress the pipeline of Strategic Resource Options, with consideration of the planning and consent process for nationally significant infrastructure, long-term integration into resource planning, and funding models for large-scale projects. Attendees will examine delivery capacity, including workforce and supply chain requirements for AMP8, and the integration of water infrastructure into wider housing and planning policy.
The conference will also explore alignment between regulatory bodies and government, and what forms of oversight might be needed to ensure climate risks, cyber threats, and deteriorating asset health are addressed - as well as possible implications of implementing immediate reforms, including smart metering and overflow monitoring, for supporting public trust and resilience.
