The Institution of Civil Engineers has responded to publication of the Ofwat review with disappointment.
Chair of the ICE water panel Michael Norton commented:
“ICE’s recent state of the nation report found that Ofwat must be reformed to reflect today’s environmental and societal challenges, in particular ensuring investment plans address the long-term implications of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and driving down demand. ICE is disappointed that the review seems to be lacking any real focus on the infrastructure assets that enable the sector to provide our country with water, and fears that our long-term water security could be severely jeopordised without a long-term focus on sustainability in this area.”
CIWEM has expressed its disappointment at the conclusions of the OFWAT review, calling it a missed opportunity for change.
After completing its own in-depth review and vision Regulation for a Sustainable Water Industry last year, CIWEM was disappointed to learn that the Review, led by David Gray, concluded that major changes to the statutory and institutional framework are not required.
Defra has published David Gray’s review of Ofwat, concluding that no major changes to the statutory framework or regulatory landscape are necessary.
OFWAT 8 February 2011