Independent Water Commission
| Date | 23 October 2024 – 21 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Chair | Sir Jon Cunliffe |
The Independent Water Commission (Welsh: Comisiwn Dŵr Annibynnol) was a British government review of the regulatory system for the water sector in the United Kingdom. It was chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe.[1]
Establishment
The UK Government and the Welsh Government established the Independent Water Commission in October 2024.[2]
Final report
Contents
The report recommended:
- establishing an obligation to have smart meters[3]
- merging Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, water-environment related functions of the Environment Agency and Natural England[4]
- transferring the economic responsibilities of Ofwat in Wales to Natural Resources Wales[4]
- establishing an ombudsman for Water, comparable to the Energy Ombudsman[5]
- the establishment of 8 regional new regional water system planning authorities in England, one for each river basin[6]
- the establishment of a national water system planning authority for Wales[6]
- the publication of a national water strategy by both the UK Government and the Welsh Government[7]
Reception
The recommendations were supported by Deputy First Minister of Wales and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies.[8]
References
- ^ "Independent Water Commission: final report will be published on 21 July 2025". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Beament, Emily (23 October 2024). "Water sector review could include replacing Ofwat amid row over bills and sewage". Independent. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Taaffe-Maguire, Sarah (21 July 2025). "Compulsory water meters and blocking takeovers - key recommendations from landmark report into 'broken' water industry". Sky News. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b Kelso, Paul (21 July 2025). "Ofwat to be swept away on tide of public anger over sewage spills". Sky News. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Horton, Helena; Crerar, Pippa (20 July 2025). "Water ombudsman to be created amid sweeping changes in England and Wales". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b Hills, Joel (21 July 2025). "The radical water fix: New regulator, compulsory meters and higher bills". ITV News. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "New regulator for water, stronger consumer advocacy and 9 new regional water authorities amongst final recommendations in Independent Water Commission report". Water Magazine. 21 July 2025. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Welsh Government welcomes recommendations of landmark water industry review". Nation.Cymru. 21 July 2025. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.