Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1202034
www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | FEBRUARY 2020 | 5 COMMENT Making a splash This month's roundup is focused on Ofwat's PR19 price determinations and the announcement of a £200 million innovation competition for the sector. Two big stories that will impact on everyone involved in the industry. Last year the water industry found itself under pressure from both ministers and opposition parties to improve performance, and now the document has been published, there has been a mixed reaction from the sector. You can read some of the industry's reaction in this issue, along with further reaction on our website: www.wwtonline.co.uk In last month's edition I commented that I thought Ofwat would give the green light to the innovation competition. Now it has been confirmed details around how the fund will be implemented and run are somewhat scant at this stage. Further information will no doubt be confirmed in due course, but I think that collaboration will be key going forward. Speaking as someone who has covered the work of the energy networks (gas and electricity) I've seen first- hand the good work that such a fund can help accelerate. It'll also be interesting to see how Ofwat deliver this fund against the backdrop of the final determinations, with water companies currently reviewing the document's details before deciding on their next steps. Interestingly when reviewing reaction, the subject of the environment and climate change comes up a lot. In this issue (page 21), WWT takes a look at how the water sector is moving to be net zero. Lila Thompson, chief executive at British Water, commented: "It is clear from the final determinations, that to meet Ofwat's stretching targets and deal with the urgent challenges of climate change and population growth, the water industry must do things differently." My view is that there's a need for an agile regulatory and policy framework that doesn't cause the progress that's been made so far to stall. With water companies committing to reach net zero by 2030, they need to be given the best shot to make this happen. Whether or not PR19 lives up to the hype and becomes the game changer that many have predicted, remains to be seen, but for now the ramifications of FD-Day will still be being felt up and down the country. Alec Peachey, content director, WWT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DRINKING WATER QUALITY LEAKS AND BURSTS SEWER NETWORKS WASTEWATER QUALITY WATER RESOURCES WWT is focusing on six core content themes. Look out for the illustrative tabs that highlight specific areas of the industry. the New Year." The chair of Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd welcomed the new price determinations, which she said will "challenge all water companies to im- prove their performance and resilience to flooding and drought, while delivering for their customers and the environment". "The climate emergency and a grow- ing population mean that we all have our part to play in protecting our water environment – every drop we save will help sustain and protect our precious rivers, lakes and bathing waters for future generations," added Howard Boyd. The managing director at SES Water, Anthony Ferrar said: "We accepted the majority of Ofwat's interventions at dra† determination stage but in our represen- tation we evidenced a handful of areas which we believed were unacceptable, as they did not recognise our specific cir- cumstances or what our customers have told us is most important. "I am therefore pleased that there has been some movement in all these areas to a certain extent, demonstrating that some of our key arguments have been heard. We are now reviewing the final determina- tion in more detail to decide on our next steps, while at the same time ensuring we remain focused on delivering the final three months of our current business plan for our customers." And the chief executive of trade body Water UK, Christine McGourty com- mented: "This announcement is a highly important one as the industry looks to deliver for customers and for the environ- ment, today and in the future. "Companies will now take time to work through all the details as they consider the implications of this tough price review for the years ahead."