CCW statement on Water White Paper

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says water consumers want to see meaningful change to the water sector as the UK Government prepares to publish its Water White Paper today (Tuesday).

The paper will set out clear powers for the new regulator and deliver tougher oversight and stronger accountability for water companies, according the details initially released by UK Government ahead of its full publication.

Responding to the announcement,  Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said:

The miserable disruption inflicted on people in parts of Sussex and Kent in recent weeks underlines why meaningful change in the way water companies are regulated and treat their customers is desperately needed. Closer and more thorough scrutiny of how companies are maintaining their networks would be a welcome step to rebuilding consumer trust, which is at an all-time low.

Over the past year CCW has seen more than a 50% rise in customers turning to us for help with complaints about their water company, so we’re delighted the government is committed to introducing a powerful new ombudsman service. One of our key asks of the Independent Water Commission was to make our existing voluntary ombudsman service mandatory, as this is vital to giving customers robust protection.

People are impatient for change and we must not lose sight of the fact that water companies have always had the freedom and power to do what is right for their customers – whether that’s being more open about their financial structures or taking better care of customers during disruption. Regulatory reform has got to come hand-in-hand with changes in the culture and accountability of the water sector.