November 2025
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This conference examined the future for water infrastructure in England and Wales, following the publication of the final report of the Independent Water Commission: review of the water sector, alongside developments in regulation and government strategy around finance, planning and infrastructure delivery.
Areas for discussion included the performance of water companies, conditions for securing long-term investment and strengthening investor confidence, and the future for regulatory structures and coordination. Delegates also considered the way forward for delivering new supply infrastructure, improving infrastructure resilience, and addressing issues around environmental impact, public trust, accountability, and affordability.
Regulatory reform, coordination & governance
The conference brought stakeholders and policymakers together to examine recommendations from the Independent Water Commission’s final report, and the way forward for implementation
Discussion drew on recent findings from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office, highlighting issues of coordination across regulators, as well as gaps in understanding of asset condition, and the need for reform to support delivery and investment.
Further areas for consideration included how responsibilities might be reallocated during the move to a new regulator, and how the transition can be managed clearly and effectively. The conference also examined strategic considerations for coordination between regulatory bodies and government, and what forms of oversight might be needed to effectively address challenges, including climate risks, cyber threats, and the deterioration of ageing infrastructure.
Consumer protections & public trust
Delegates assessed what will be needed from proposed regulatory, planning, and legislative reforms to improve consumer protection and regain public trust in the water sector - with the largest environmental legal claim in the UK to date filed at the High Court in September over pollution in rivers. We expected discussion to draw on the Government’s decision to merge Ofwat with other regulatory bodies into a single water regulator, looking at implications for consumer accountability, representation in decision‑making, and expectations for company engagement with the public.
Funding & finance
Sessions in the agenda assessed strategic options for tackling funding challenges and securing investment for infrastructure maintenance and delivery. Attendees considered 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.
It was an opportunity to discuss the CMA’s recent approval of bill increases to support infrastructure improvement as requested by five water companies, including priorities for utilising extra funding to tackle the most urgent challenges, as well as implications for consumers.
Infrastructure renewal, planning & delivery
Further discussion assessed implications of Ofwat’s 2024 Price Review final determinations for the Asset Management Period 8 for infrastructure planning, delivery, and sector resilience. The sector’s response to heightened scrutiny of performance and delivery was considered, with discussion on the conditions needed to support infrastructure ambitions amid tighter regulatory expectations and investor pressures.
The potential impact of the updated National Policy Statement for water resources infrastructure and the wider 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy was discussed, including the potential for facilitating streamlined planning, timely delivery, and effective coordination across the sector. Discussion also assessed upcoming environmental planning reforms, including Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for nationally significant infrastructure projects from 2026, and options for aligning major infrastructure development with environmental protection.
Asset & water resource management
Delegates considered what will be needed from immediate implementation of reforms if aims to improve transparency, strengthen resilience, and rebuild public trust are to be achieved. Workforce and supply chain capacity to deliver the Asset Management Period 8 programme was also discussed, as well as how water infrastructure priorities can be integrated effectively with wider housing and planning policy.
Further sessions assessed findings and recommendations made in the Environment Agency’s National Framework for Water Resources 2025, looking at ways to sustainably manage water resources amid growing demands and estimated future shortfalls.
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those who attended include officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department of Health and Social Care; Department for Transport; Department for Business and Trade; Environment Agency; HM Treasury; House of Commons Library; Climate Change Committee; Crown Commercial Service; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Office for Environmental Protection; Ofwat; National Infrastructure Commission; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; and the Welsh Government.
