Overview
- The White Paper proposes abolishing Ofwat and consolidating oversight into a single regulator, to be enabled by a new water reform bill.
- Water firms would be required to carry out MOT-style health checks on infrastructure, with the new watchdog empowered to conduct no‑notice inspections and led by a chief engineer.
- Dedicated supervisory teams for each company and a Performance Improvement Regime are planned to enable faster, tailored interventions when performance slips.
- A new Water Ombudsman would gain legally binding powers to resolve complaints and require timely, fair compensation.
- Implementation will be phased, with a 2026 transition plan and Ofwat unlikely to be formally axed before 2027, and ministers say about £104bn over five years will fund upgrades including storm overflows and wastewater treatment.